


Taking Chances

by SunriseRose1023



Series: The Chances Series [3]
Category: Charmed, Supernatural
Genre: Angels, Demons, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Flashbacks, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Manipulation, Sexual Content, Supernatural Elements, Temporary Character Death, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-04-14 01:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 50
Words: 82,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4545438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunriseRose1023/pseuds/SunriseRose1023
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The road to stopping the Apocalypse is longer and bumpier than anyone could have imagined. The Halliwell cousins and the Winchester brothers encounter things they never thought they would, and one of them slips into a darkness none of them ever saw coming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part Three in my series about Dean and Melinda's love story. This one takes place a little more than a year after the last story ended, and follows pretty closely with Supernatural's Season 4. I'm moving this story from my FanFiction.net account to here, and for some reason, that's a pretty long process for me. But I'm doing my best to get it transferred ASAP.
> 
> Tags and Characters may be updated the further along we get in this story.

 

Melinda trembled where she stood.

"You have to stop this. Don't you understand?"  
"Stop it, Mel."  
"No. You're going to kill yourself, and I'm not just going to stand back and watch you do it!"

He turned, and she could see the fire in his eyes, a sight she'd never seen before. Honestly, he looked terrifying.

"You don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Melinda laughed, and there wasn't an ounce of humor in it.

"You're right. I have _never_ done this."  
"Because you're so above it? So much better than me?"  
"I never said that."  
"You didn't have to!"

She flinched at his yell, which was almost a roar. He turned from her, running his hands through his hair.

"You need to get the hell out of here, right now."  
"No."  
"Do not push me, Melinda."  
"Or what? You'll hurt me? Just like you did—"

He turned to her again, the fire back in his eyes, and the words caught in her throat.

"Do _not_ go there."

Okay, she was scared. She never thought she would be, not with him. Tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them back.

"You're breaking my heart."  
"Oh, don't."  
"I can't do this anymore. I can't keep it to myself. I'm telling him."  
"No, you won't."  
"Oh yes, I am. If you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to him."  
"Melinda, stop."

She shook her head as she walked for her phone. She knew he was getting agitated, because he was breathing hard now.

"Melinda, do not do this. Stop, now."  
"I can't. I'm sorry."  
"Damn it, I said _no!"_

He threw out his hand, and Melinda went flying. She didn't even really have a chance to register what was happening before she was flying through the air. She hit the wall, and felt her head crack against the mirror. She fell to the floor, where the breath was knocked out of her. He looked on in horror as she tried to move, but her arms wouldn't work. She coughed a few times, then collapsed on the floor. He saw blood begin to pool around her head, and he couldn't move. He was gasping, hot tears in his eyes. He put his hands up, running them through his hair, and did the only thing he could think of to do.

He ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to do something a little different with this story. This chapter is a glimpse into the future, and the next chapter will pick up in present time. Keep this little exchange in mind. See if maybe you can figure out who Melinda's talking to here. :)


	2. 93 Million Miles

**_A Few Months Earlier_ **

Melinda sighed as she flopped onto yet another hotel bed. She was sick to death of hotels.

No, no. Not _hotels._

Motels.

Grungy, rent-by-the-hour motels.

They'd been on the road, chasing after Lilith for a godforsaken year, and they were no closer to her now than they'd been when they started. Castiel was keeping track of the seals Lilith had broken, and they were up to twenty-seven now. They had been present for a few of them, stopped a few, arrived just a smidge too late for a couple.

Melinda sighed as Dean brought their bags in and dropped them on the floor beside the bed. She looked up at him, and he smiled down at her.

"Hey, pretty girl."  
"Hey."

Dean bent down and kissed her, running a hand over her face. He shrugged his jacket off his shoulders and sat on the other side of the bed from her. He laid back, stretching out the opposite way Melinda was. He reached over and took her hand.

"Got our own room this time."

Melinda smiled.

"I noticed. Lucky for us that the Lucky Star Motel was cheap and apparently vacant."

Dean had hit a particularly fine pool-hustling streak in the last town they were in. Melinda couldn't even remember what the name of the town was. She'd been to so many damn towns they all ran together now. Dean kissed her hand.

"Sam and Peyton are right next door. I think they might be going to get something to eat. You want to join 'em?"

Melinda sighed and shook her head.

"Dean, we were in that car for the better part of two days. I don't want to drive anywhere. I don't want to walk anywhere. I just want to lay here, and try to figure out what the hell that is on the ceiling."

Dean looked over to where she pointed and made a face.

"I don't really think I want to know, babe."  
"Yeah, me either."

Dean rolled over on his side and looked at her. She could feel him watching her, but she was used to it by now. He told her all the time, he just liked to look at her. And she understood, somewhat, because she liked to look at him.

"Mel, you okay?"

She put on a smile for him.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just a little tired. Cranky, I guess."  
"Know what might help that?"  
"Not a bacon double cheeseburger, I can tell you that."

Dean sighed and flopped back down. Melinda smiled and rolled over, laying her head on his stomach.

"If you keep forcing those things on me, soon all I'll be able to wear will be your pants."  
"Would that be the worst thing?"  
"Uh, yeah. I enjoy getting in your pants, but definitely not that way."

Dean fell out laughing, and Melinda moved up to kiss his smiling mouth. He brushed her honey-colored bangs out of her face.

"You're not going to turn into Sam and eat rabbit food all the time, are you?"

Melinda smiled and laid her head on his chest.

"Not all the time. Just every once in a while. And it wouldn't kill you to—"  
"Yes, yes it would."

Melinda giggled, and Dean ran his hand up and down her arm.

"You want to order a pizza?"

Melinda laughed at the hopeful expression on his handsome face. Times like this, where he was relaxed and joking with her, smiling like a little boy… She cherished them, held them in a special place in her heart.

"Fine. Life is too short for salads all the time. Make it cheesy."

* * *

 

Sam and Peyton didn't end up going to eat. They ordered a pizza too, and ate it in bed. Peyton was wearing Sam's button-down, and he was smiling at her. He always told her she looked much better in his clothes than he did, and she was constantly stealing them. She slept in his t-shirts, which hung down nearly to her knees.

Right then, Sam leaned back on the bed, wearing only his jeans, which he hadn't even bothered to button. Peyton curled up beside him, tucking her knees under her and covering them with the ends of the shirt.

"Sammy?"  
"Yeah, babe."

He let Peyton call him "Sammy," when only Dean and his father had been able to before. He liked the way it sounded when she said it. She sighed and he started to massage her head.

"How long do you think this job will take?"

Sam thought for a minute. Bobby had sent them to Ohio, to check out a possible seal in Columbus. Sam really didn't think anything would come of this one, but it was worth it to check it out. Especially since Lilith seemed to be taking her time these days.

"I don't know, babe. If we don't find anything, we can move on probably in ... I don't know. Two days?"  
"Well, I was just wondering…"  
"What, Peyton?"  
"Maybe we could take a little time off. I mean, we've been pounding the pavement pretty hard for a year now, Sam. And our birthdays are coming up. Mine and Mel's. I was just thinking maybe we could celebrate them at home this year."

Sam felt like a complete ass. He knew when Peyton's birthday was, because she'd dropped a ton of hints last year. He gave her a rose and sprang for a nice hotel room, and you'd have thought he'd given her the moon from the way she reacted.

"You homesick, babe?"

Peyton shrugged her shoulders.

"A little bit. I miss my mom. But it's not really me. It's Mel."  
"Really?"  
"Sam, she's … I can hardly describe it. I am so glad you got us this room to ourselves, because I just don't know what would have happened if I had to be in there with her for another minute."  
"What do you mean?"

Peyton sighed, and snuggled closer to him.

"She's homesick. She's tired of driving, tired of motels, tired of chasing after something that we just can't seem to find."  
"She's burnt out."  
"Yes. Exactly."

Sam nodded, and put his arm around Peyton.

"Tell you what. If we wrap this up quickly, and we don't get another case, we'll surprise Mel and go home for your birthdays. If it's at all possible, we'll take about a week, relax a little. Take a breather."  
"Really? You mean it, Sam?"  
"I mean it."

Peyton took his face in her hands and kissed him. Sam laughed, for a minute, but he soon took hold of Peyton's hips, lowering her to the bed, and taking his shirt back from her.


	3. Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'

Early the next morning, Castiel appeared, letting them know that the seal in Columbus had already been broken, which bumped the total up to twenty-eight. They had absolutely no leads on what could be happening next, no demonic activity anywhere around, and Peyton and Melinda's 26th birthdays were looming around the corner.

Dean was checking the arsenal in the Impala when Sam came up behind him.

"Hey, Dean."  
"What's happening, Sammy? You ready to go?"   
"Uh, not quite."

Dean screwed on the cap to a bottle of Holy water and glanced back at his brother. Sam put his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"What's the matter, Sammy?"

Sam sighed.

"We don't have any leads. Bobby's coming up empty. And the girls… Their birthdays are coming up pretty soon."  
"I know. Peyton's first, then Mel's."

Sam nodded.

"Know what day?"

Dean gave Sam a look as he checked the shotgun.

"Melinda's birthday is October twenty-third. Same day as it was last year, Sam. And Peyton's is the week … No, two weeks before. October … ninth?"

Sam nodded.

"Impressive."   
"And this year, I'm taking Mel home for her birthday."

Sam stopped.

"You're what?"   
"She's homesick, man. She tries to hide it, but we're bonded. I can feel how sad she is, and how she tries to cover it up by acting pissy. She thinks I don't know, which will make the surprise even better."

Sam stood there with his mouth open, before shutting it. Dean leaned up, letting down the false bottom, and shutting the trunk. Dean looked down at his watch.

"Come on, man. I'm starving."

They walked in Dean and Melinda's hotel room, where the girls were. Peyton was setting out the food, while Melinda stared out the dirty window. Peyton shook her head at Sam before walking close to them.

"Careful, she's in a mood."   
"I'm not deaf, Peyton. I can hear you."

Dean smiled as he walked over to her, bending down to kiss her mouth. She sighed, and he ran a hand over her head.

"You okay, baby?"

Melinda looked up at him, and pasted a smile on her face.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm just fine. Peachy, in fact."   
"Oh, here we go."

Sam took a seat, and Peyton crawled into his lap. Dean shrugged his jacket off his shoulders and sat on the edge of the bed. Melinda stood to her feet.

"I have seen more of this great country than I ever thought I would. I have been from coast to coast, and everywhere in between. I have seen the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River, from tip to tail. I have seen all the mountains. The Smokies, the Rockies, the … What are those other ones? Where we hunted that Wendigo?"   
"Appalachian."  
"Yes. Thank you, honey."

Dean nodded, letting her go on with her tirade.

"I have seen the hills of Tennessee, and the deserts of Nevada. I've seen the beaches of Florida, and the absolute nothing that is Kansas and Oklahoma. I have frozen my ass off in Wisconsin, and been hot as hell in Texas. Almost drowned in the rain in Washington state, not to mention the snow in Colorado. I've almost died in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Illinois, Montana, one of the Dakotas, and both of the Carolinas. And now… I'm just so tired."

She flopped on the bed beside Dean, and he smiled, running a hand over her honey-blonde ponytail. Sam glanced at Peyton as she let out a sigh, feeling the rundown exhaustion Melinda was feeling. Sam ran his hand through Peyton's dark chocolate-colored curls. Dean smiled.

"I wanted this to be a surprise, but…"

Melinda looked over to him, feeling the excitement he felt.

"We've kind of hit a wall here. No leads, no demon attacks, Bobby's coming up with squat. And, since a couple of special days will happen in the next couple of weeks…"

Peyton grinned, and Sam kissed her temple. Melinda sat up, and Dean ran his fingers over her cheek.

"I'm taking you home, Mel."

Her breath caught in her throat, and her blue eyes went wide.

"Dean."  
"Yeah, babe."  
_"Dean."_   
"What, baby?"  
"Dean!"

He smiled, and she grabbed his hands.

"You mean it. You really mean it? You mean it."   
"We'll be at the Manor Friday morning, if we leave tonight."

Melinda let out a squeal and tackled him. He fell back to the bed with a laugh, as she attacked his mouth. Peyton sat up.

"Oh. Okay. Sam, we got to go. Come on."   
"Peyt, we didn't even get to eat."  
"Get it to go. Come on, now."

Dean and Melinda were giggling on the bed, and Sam blew out his breath as he grabbed the containers of his and Peyton's food. Peyton was at the door, breathing hard, when Dean spoke, never taking his eyes from Melinda's.

"Hey, Sammy."   
"What?"  
"Get lost for a while."

Sam shook his head as he got to the door, and Peyton sprinted to their room. Sam stepped outside as the door slammed shut behind him, clicking as Melinda locked it with her powers. Peyton grabbed Sam by the shirt and pulled him in their room, pushing him up against the door as she closed it.

* * *

 

Melinda was smiling when Dean tugged her shirt over her head. He pulled his own off, and laid back as she came over him. She bent to kiss him, and her hair fell like a curtain over their faces. Dean reached up and grabbed her hair, pushing it back, opening his hands on her face. Melinda was busy undoing his jeans, and he let out a groan when she snaked a hand inside.

"Jesus, Mel."   
"I love you, Dean."

He tried to say that he loved her too, but all he could do was groan. He took hold of Melinda's arms, and flipped her. She let out a yelp, and laughed when he went to work yanking her jeans off of her. She stopped laughing though, and could only gasp when he finally got them off. When she was trembling and gripping the sheets, Dean kissed up to her face. She pushed him back down to the bed, sitting up as she straddled his hips, and reached around, undoing her bra. Dean smiled at her, reaching up. She groaned, and Dean's grin grew.

"I love you, Melinda."

She couldn't say anything, as he raised his hips. She braced her hands on his chest, letting her eyes drift shut as Dean moved his hands to hold her hips. She groaned, and about a minute later, she collapsed on his chest. Dean held her close to him and flipped her over, and he groaned when her fingernails dug into his shoulders.


	4. Home

_Okay, so maybe the motels weren't all that bad_ , Melinda thought as she laid with her head on Dean's chest. She had dozed off just a little bit, which was completely understandable after _that._ Dean was running his fingers through her hair, which had come out of the ponytail she'd secured that morning. Dean's fault. She was tracing the tattoo above his heart, and his fingers drifted to the back of her neck, tracing the identical symbol she had there.

"I love you, Mel."

She smiled, and kissed his chest.

"I love you too, Winchester."

He kissed the top of her head.

"We need to get going if we're going."  
"Oh, we're going."

He laughed, and sat up. He bent to grab his jeans, and Melinda's mouth fell open at the scratches running down his back.

"Holy hell."  
"What?"

He turned to look at her, and she reached out to touch his back. He sucked in a breath, just then noticing the sting. She looked down at her hands, then up to his face.

"I'm sorry."  
"Don't be. Totally worth it."

She laughed, and rested back on the pillows. Dean buttoned his jeans and bent to pick up his t-shirt. He found hers first, and tossed it back to her, before walking to get his. Melinda watched him, with a sly smile on her face. She didn't understand it. How in the world did he stay so damn good-looking? The man ate more than seemed humanly possible, and it was never anything healthy. Yet, he still had an almost chiseled six-pack. He shook his head as he let out a laugh.

"Baby, if you keep on, we won't ever leave this room."

Melinda laughed and covered her face.

"I just can't help it when you put it on display like that!"

Dean laughed, and turned around, rolling his shoulders. That did very interesting things to the muscles in his back, and Melinda let out a groan. Dean laughed while he pulled his shirt over his head. Melinda climbed out of bed and rifled through her suitcase, dressing in a sundress and a light sweater. Dean watched her nearly the entire time.

"Baby, if you keep on…"

Dean laughed, and picked up their bags, meeting Sam in the hallway. Peyton came to Melinda's room and stood at the door. Melinda smiled.

"You okay, Peyton?"

Peyton laughed.

"I'm feeling just about as good as you are, kid."

Melinda laughed as she picked her purse up, and walked to put her arm around Peyton's shoulder. They gave the room one last once-over, and walked out. They got to the Impala, where their boys were leaning up against it. Melinda smiled.

"Can I drive?"  
"No!"

Sam, Dean, and Peyton all spoke at the same time. Melinda sighed, as Sam stepped forward.

"Do you remember the last time you drove?"  
"Nothing bad happened."

Peyton laughed.

"You were going 90 in a 55. The cop had his gun out!"  
"He was going to arrest us all."  
"I got us out of it, okay?"

Dean came up in front of her and took her face in his hands.

"All you had to do was bat those baby blues, and that guy was toast."

Melinda smiled, and Dean kissed her.

"But you're still not driving my car."  
"Oh, come on!"  
"You're lucky he still lets you in the front seat, Mel."  
"Oh, shut up, Sam."

Sam laughed as he and Peyton climbed in the backseat. Melinda sighed and looked over the top of the car, where Dean was smiling back at her.

"I'm letting this go for the sole reason that you're taking me home."

Dean smiled and climbed in the car, and Melinda sighed as she climbed in.

* * *

 

The drive was long, and when they rolled up to the curb outside of the Manor, Melinda had to keep herself from jumping out of the car. Dean smiled and climbed out, stretching, while Sam and Peyton did the same. Melinda and Peyton shared a glance, and took off running to the house. Sam and Dean just smiled, and followed the girls. Melinda opened the front door with her powers, and yelled out as she ran inside.

"Mama! Daddy!"

Piper and Leo came running out of the kitchen, mouths open. Melinda started to laugh, and Dean walked in the door, flinging his arms out.

"Surprise!"

Piper ran and took Melinda in her arms, and Leo came up behind them, wrapping them both in his arms. Phoebe came down the stairs.

"What in the world is all the …"  
"Hi, Mama!"  
"Baby!"

Phoebe levitated over the rest of the stairs, coming down in front of Peyton. She took her in her arms, and burst into tears. Peyton laughed, though tears were in her eyes, as well.

"Mama, don't cry!"  
"I can't help it!"

Melinda and her parents were silent, but tears slid down Piper's cheeks, too. Melinda's voice was muffled, since her face was buried in Leo's chest.

"Mama, don't you cry, either."

That made Piper laugh, and she ran her hands over Melinda's blonde head.

"I'm just so glad to see you. That's all. It's been a year since you've been here."  
"We were here for yours and Daddy's birthdays."  
"That didn't count. You just showed up and then you had to go."

Peyton spoke up then.

"That was the case with the ghouls."  
"Oh, right. Ew."  
"It was a good thing that we left, because we had to save Dumb and Dumber back there who decided they could handle it all on their own."

Sam and Dean started to protest, but they gave up. Piper finally let go of Melinda, and walked over to Dean.

"Come here."

Dean walked to her and let her wrap him in a hug, and a strange feeling came over him. Peyton, Phoebe, and Melinda all covered their hearts, having felt it, too. Phoebe smiled and walked over to Sam, and they laughed when he bent so far over to hug her. Peyton blinked back tears, and Melinda came to rest her head on Peyton's shoulder.

"He's never had a mom, Mel."  
"I know. Dean hasn't had one since he was four."

Piper and Phoebe pulled back, taking the boys' faces in their hands and kissing their cheeks. Piper turned and walked back to Melinda and took her hand, pulling her along.

"Come on, kid. Tell me everything."  
"First of all, have you ever heard of a rugaru?"  
"Not ever in my life."

Piper and Melinda rounded the corner, with Phoebe and Peyton right behind them. Leo came walking over to Sam and Dean. Leo nodded, then smiled as he pulled the boys into an embrace.

"It's good to have you back, boys."  
"It's good to be back, sir."

Leo stepped back with a smile.

"Dean, I've got a '82 Grand Am out back that I could use some help on."

Dean smiled.

"Lead the way."


	5. I Loved Her First

A week after they arrived at the Manor, not one single case had popped up. At least one person was in contact with Bobby on a daily basis, and all was quiet on the Lilith front. Peyton turned twenty-six surrounded by her family, the people she loved the most, and Sam. He gave her another rose, and they spent nearly the entire day after her birthday in bed. Melinda's birthday was fast approaching, and when Dean and Leo were working in the garage one day, Dean sighed. Leo smiled, looking through the engine to where Dean was underneath the car.

"Something on your mind, son?"

Dean sighed again.

"Yes, sir."   
"Well, I think we've done all we can do for now. Let's take a break."

Dean rolled out from under the car and came to sit beside Leo. Leo handed him a bottle of water and a red rag. Dean wiped his face, took a long swig from the water, and sighed again.

"Leo… I need to talk to you about something."

Leo nodded, because he knew exactly what it was. And he'd been dreading this conversation. Dean pushed on.

"I love your daughter. With everything that I have in me, I love her. Everything I do is for her."   
"I can see that."   
"And I can't imagine my life without her."

Leo stood up, pressing a hand against the dull ache that had suddenly sprang up in his chest. He walked to the window, looking out of it, seeing Melinda at the table, helping Piper with something. Dean took in another breath.

"Leo, I think you know what I'm asking."

Leo smiled, and turned back to look at Dean.

"I think I do."

Dean smiled.

"I want to marry her, Leo. No, I need to. I have to."

Leo nodded, and his heart felt like it was breaking. He looked back out the window, as Melinda threw her head back laughing over something. He blinked, and she was a little girl, standing up in a chair, helping Piper pound out bread dough, with flour all over her little face and in her hair. He blinked again, and she was the woman looking back at him, waving. He lifted a hand with a smile, then turned back to Dean. He crossed his arms over his chest, and Dean felt like he was sweating bullets. Leo cleared his throat.

"She's my baby, Dean. My little girl. My only girl. We waited for her for a long time, and I have spent her whole life watching over her, helping her, taking care of her."

Dean nodded.

"The first time she met you, she fell for you. And the first time I met you… I knew this day would come. That we would be having this conversation. I could tell, by the way you looked at her. No one had ever looked at her the way you did. And when you left… I don't think I have to tell you how disappointed I was."

Dean closed his eyes, then looked down at the ground.

"I hated you, Dean, for a long time. And when you came back, I wanted to pound your stupid skull in. I wanted to hurt you the way you made my baby hurt."  
"I don't blame you."

Dean's voice was quiet, as he stared at the ground. Leo sighed.

"But… When you came back, I got that feeling again. Even though she was with someone else, I felt that you … You were the one for her."

Dean looked up at him then, and Leo kept on.

"You died for her, Dean. And I knew, when I watched you use your last breath to get her brothers to heal her, that you were it. The man I'd always hoped would find my daughter. And you did."

Leo laughed quietly.

"I don't want to say yes to you. I don't want to like you as much as I do. It's not because it's you, Dean. It's because it's anyone. I was the first person to hold her when she was born. Piper delivered her in that house, into my arms. Her first word …"

He laughed at the memory.

"Her first word was "Leo." I tried forever to get her to say "Da-da," but she called me Leo until she was 2. She had Mama and Leo."

Dean couldn't help but smile, while Leo walked closer to him.

"I helped her take her first steps, nursed her through every illness under the sun, taught her all I know about magic. I was her hero. She told me that so many times. But that day, when you—what do you call it, ganked?"

Dean nodded and smiled.

"When you ganked that ghost in the attic, I could see it in her eyes. You were her hero then. And you still are."

Leo took a seat beside Dean, and let out a long sigh.

"If you ever have a daughter, you'll understand. I don't want to give her away, let someone else be in charge of taking care of her. But I know that I have to, and I am honored that it's you."

Dean smiled.

"So, Leo. Do I have your permission to ask Melinda to marry me?"

Leo looked at him for a long time, then slapped him on the shoulder.

"You have my permission, and my blessing."

Dean let out a sigh of relief, then laughed as he and Leo hugged.

"Well, well. Check out this little love fest."

Dean and Leo glanced back to see Melinda smiling in the doorway.

"Do I sense a bromance?"

Leo laughed, and Melinda walked over and sat in between them, kissing Dean, and then Leo on the cheek.

"My boys, playing with their cars. Little grease monkeys."

Leo ran his finger over Melinda's nose, making her crinkle it up as she laughed. She turned to him, making her eyes wide, looking so much like the little girl she used to be.

"Daddy, did you know my birthday is coming up?"   
"Is it really?"

Melinda nodded, and Dean stood up and threw his water bottle away. Leo laid an arm on the back of the bench.

"Well, what would you like for your birthday, princess?"

Melinda shrugged her shoulders.

"Something big and expensive."

Leo laughed, and Melinda's smile seemed to light the garage. They had the same conversation every year, and they had ever since Melinda was a little girl. Every now and then, she would get something big and expensive. The car when she turned eighteen, the pearl earrings on her twenty-first birthday. And this year, Leo thought with a sad smile, she'd get something else.

"Dad? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

He put on a smile, and let his fingers touch the end of her ponytail.

"Nothing. I just can't believe what a good, beautiful woman you've become."   
"Oh, Daddy. I love you."   
"I love you too, angel."

Melinda leaned over and kissed his cheek, then stood up.

"Come on, you two. Mama and I have been slaving away, and we have a lunch feast for you."

They walked inside, the boys slipping their shoes off in the mudroom before going in the kitchen. Dean went ahead and jogged upstairs, washing up in the bathroom off of the guest room he and Sam were bunking in, and Melinda followed after him. Leo washed his hands at the kitchen sink, then stood there, looking out the window. Piper came up behind him and handed him a towel.

"Hey. What is it?"   
"Nothing."  
"Oh, come on. We've been together for more than thirty years. I know when something's up with you. Give me some credit."

Leo smiled, drying his hands and setting the towel on the counter.

"He asked me."

Piper gasped, covering her mouth as tears came to her eyes.

"He did?"   
"Just a little while ago."   
"Oh, Leo."   
"He's going to ask our little girl to marry him, Piper."

Piper let out a sob and Leo wrapped her in his arms.

"This is what we wanted, right?"

Piper nodded against his shoulder.

"Then why does it hurt?"  
"Because she's our baby, honey. And we don't want to let go."

Leo nodded, letting out a long sigh. Piper picked up the dishtowel and used it to dry her eyes.

"He'll be good to her."  
"He better."

Piper laughed as Melinda and Dean came back in the kitchen.

"What's so funny?"

Piper smiled at her daughter, flashing back to a tiny little thing with blonde curls, toddling after her in the kitchen. She blinked, and her grown daughter was smiling at her, standing beside the man she loved. Piper sighed.

"Nothing, sweetie. Come on, let's eat."

Melinda stepped over and Leo kissed her forehead before sitting at the table with her. Piper walked to Dean and hugged him, putting a hand on his face and pulling it to her. She whispered in his ear, making him smile.

"Welcome to the family."  
"You really think she'll say yes?"

Piper pulled back and winked at him, and Dean smiled as he sat beside Melinda.

"Ooh, is that pie?"


	6. She Will Be Loved

On the morning of October 23, Melinda was sleeping in her bed, wrapped up in Dean's arms, with her head on his chest. They just couldn't sleep without each other. Especially after the first night they were there.

* * *

 

They had all decided on the ride up that they shouldn't sleep in the same rooms together, out of respect to Piper and Leo. Dean and Sam were bunking in a room right down from Melinda's, and Peyton's room was on the other side. That first night, about an hour after they laid down, Dean, who had just started to sink into sleep, woke with a start.

He looked around, trying to orient himself to his unfamiliar surroundings. Where was Mel? He had a feeling, and he didn't know why; he just had to get to her. He stood up, not bothering with a shirt.

"Dean?"

He turned back, and Sam rubbed his eyes as he sat up in the bed. He yawned as he spoke.

"What are you doing?"  
"Go back to sleep, Sammy. Everything's all right."

Sam nodded and laid back down, falling back to sleep. Dean sighed, and checked to make sure the salt lines around the room and around Sam's bed were still intact. They were, and he left the room, walking the little ways down the hall. He pushed Melinda's door open, and heard the whimper. He let the door slide shut behind him, checking the charm just above it. He walked to the bed, saw Melinda roll over, heard her whimper again.

"Mel. Sweetheart, hey."

She slept on, the expression on her face unsettling him. He walked around to the other side of the bed, heard her whisper "No" over and over again. He reached a hand out to run through her hair.

"Mel. Melinda, wake up."

She whimpered again, the sound cutting at his heart. He carefully laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Melinda, baby. It's okay. Wake up."

She shook her head, repeating "no" until she sat up with a gasp. Dean sat on the bed in front of her, taking her face in his hands.

"Hey. Hey, hey, calm down. It's okay. Everything's all right. You're fine, Mel."  
"Dean."  
"I'm right here, baby. Everything's okay."

She shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. Dean took her in his arms, sighing as she clutched him close to her. He knew exactly what she had been dreaming about. Or rather, reliving. He could see it when he closed his eyes, and that was how he knew he needed to get to her. The case she was dreaming about, the one she couldn't shake, had really turned out to be the beginning of her burn ran a hand over the back of her head as she let out a shaky breath.

"Damn ghouls again, Mel?"

She nodded, still wrapped in his arms.

"That little boy… He was so young, Dean."  
"And he was gone before we even got there, Mel. You can't keep holding onto this."

She nodded again. A couple of ghouls in Minnesota had killed an entire family, taking the forms of a little boy and his mother. They had taken care of it, killing the ghouls, but seeing the little boy, and having to kill him had really bothered Melinda. She sighed, holding Dean tighter.

"They almost got you this time. And Peyton. I didn't get there in time."  
"But they didn't, babe. Remember? You and Sam saved us. You showed up just in time and saved me and Peyton."

She nodded, and Dean pulled back to kiss her. He kept running his hands through her hair, and she sighed.

"Will you stay with me?"

A smile crossed his face.

"Of course, baby. Come here."

* * *

 

So ever since that night, Dean would sneak in the room after everyone had gone to bed, and sneak back out before everyone woke up. But on the morning that Melinda turned twenty-six, it just didn't work out that way.

"Good morning, birthday girl! And Dean, good morning to you, too."

Melinda sighed, then her eyes flew open. She sat up, quickly followed by Dean, who had taken to sleeping shirtless, since Melinda liked his chest so much. Their eyes were wide and guilty, and Piper smiled.

"What, did you think I didn't know? Honey, Mama might have been born at night, but it wasn't last night."

Melinda's cheeks burned as Piper walked over and set the tray on the bed. Piper kissed her forehead and smiled as she rubbed her thumb on Melinda's cheek.

"Happy birthday, my love."  
"Thank you, Mama."

Melinda looked down at her tray and smiled. Chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and bacon, and a glass of chocolate milk. The same breakfast she'd had for the past 22 birthdays, which were the ones she could remember. Although that twenty-first birthday was still a little hazy.

"Twenty-six, huh?"

Melinda nodded.

"Don't say it, Mom."  
"You're getting old, kid."

Melinda groaned, but Piper and Dean smiled. Piper turned to Dean.

"Your breakfast is waiting in the kitchen, if you want."  
"Yeah, only birthday girls are special and get breakfast in bed."

Dean laughed as Melinda took another bite of pancakes. She gave him a bite, and he crawled out of bed, slipping a shirt on to follow Piper to the kitchen. Downstairs, Peyton, Sam, Leo, and Phoebe were eating. Piper and Dean walked in the kitchen and Peyton's eyes lit up.

"Is it really happening today?"

Dean smiled as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Tonight."

Peyton squealed quietly, as Phoebe's eyes grew watery.

"I can't believe it's really happening."  
"Sister, don't you start. I've been a blubbering mess for a week now, ever since this one asked Leo for permission."  
"That was just the sweetest thing."  
"Oh, damn it, Phoebe."

Piper and Phoebe used their napkins to dab at their eyes, and Dean came to sit beside Sam. Peyton leaned over.

"Let's go over this one more time."

Everyone at the table groaned, and Peyton held up her hands.

"Humor me, would you? I can feel your excitement anyway, so…"

They sighed and Dean took a sip of his coffee.

"We're all going out to dinner at 7:00. Afterwards, I'm taking her for dessert, at which time—"  
"Wyatt, Chris, and I will be setting up the room at the Hilton."

Dean nodded at Sam and took another sip of coffee. Peyton tapped Sam on his arm.

"Paris and I are helping with that, right?"

Sam nodded.

"It's also my job to get her ready for dinner and everything, and I'm so pumped."

Piper smiled at Peyton, who then turned to Dean.

"Do you have it?"  
"Of course I have it."  
"Can I see it?"  
"How many times am I going to have to tell you, Peyton? No. Mel gets to see it first."

Peyton groaned, and Sam ran a hand across her hair, kissing her head. Dean turned to the table and smiled.

"Once dessert is finished, she and I will hitch a ride back to the hotel, where I will BS my way into saying it's a special birthday treat, just her and me, blah blah blah. I will lead her to the room, open the door, and—"  
"Best breakfast ever, Mama."

They were all suddenly interested in their plates as Melinda walked in the room. She glanced around the table, and only Dean met her eyes, smiling at her.

"Okay, weirdos. Whatever."  
"Happy birthday, Mel."  
"Thank you, Sam."

Melinda walked over and sat in Dean's lap, and he kissed her cheek, then went back to eating. She ran her hands through his hair on the back of his head, and Phoebe smiled at her.

"So what have you got planned for your birthday?"

Melinda smiled.

"Peyton and I are going shopping, and to get pretty for dinner tonight."  
"Speaking of, we need to get a move on."

Melinda grinned, and kissed Dean's mouth before hopping up and following Peyton out the door. Phoebe and Piper turned to Dean.

"All right. They're gone. Let's see it."

Dean shook his head, and Piper froze him, while she and Phoebe emptied his pockets. Piper unfroze him when they found the ring box, and he sighed. Phoebe opened the box … only to find it empty.

"Hey."

Dean reached over, taking the box back from her.

"You think it's my first day with you people? Mel gets to see it first. And that is that."

Piper and Phoebe exchanged a glance, grumbling, but keeping the smiles on their faces.


	7. Marry Me

Peyton lit the last candle in the room and smiled. Her sister Paris walked up beside her.

"Oh, this is perfect."

Sam tossed more rose petals on the bed, as Wyatt walked back in the room.

"Okay, champagne is chilling. Did Chris get the—"  
"Right here."

Chris walked in, lifting the lid on the tray, showing off the chocolate-covered strawberries. The girls oohed and ahhed, and Chris sighed.

"This is like every single cliché, all rolled into one."   
"Don't knock it, Christopher."

Chris set the tray down, rolling his eyes at Peyton. Paris came up and stood beside him, speaking under her breath.

"I'd be taking notes if I were you. You could use a little help in the romance department."   
"I'm twenty-nine, Paris."  
"And still so far from getting married."  
"This is about Mel, right? Not me. Get off Chris' back, and make this perfect for his little sister."

Wyatt chuckled from the corner, glancing out the window. Peyton was standing back, trying to take it all in. Sam dropped the last few rose petals at her feet and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, what are you thinking?"

Peyton shook her head, her eyes shining.

"This is how we always imagined it. This is exactly how Melinda wanted it to be. So romantic it almost hurts."

Sam kissed Peyton's forehead as Wyatt spoke.

"There they are. Is everything ready?"

They all gave the room another once-over, sharing smiles. Peyton giggled.

"I'm so nervous! Do you think she knows?"

They all shared a glance, then shook their heads. Chris's smile softened.

"I hope she's blindsided. Even if it means we're stuck with the Winchesters forever."

Sam laughed, as Wyatt stared down from the window, seeing as Dean looked up, meeting his eyes and waving a hand.

"All right. That was the signal. Let's go."

Wyatt and Chris orbed out, and Paris snapped a picture on her phone before she teleported away. Sam took Peyton in his arms, and she smiled. He bent to kiss her, and she held her hands on his face as they disappeared from the room.

* * *

 

Dean stood behind Melinda on the elevator. He was hot. When did he get so hot? It was the damn tie he had around his neck. Had to be. Melinda looked behind her, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Dean, are you okay?"  
"What? Fine. I'm just fine, baby."

That was too fast. He was talking too fast, wasn't he? His thoughts were all running together, but at least that way, Melinda couldn't read them. Why was he so damn hot? Melinda sighed as she turned around. She reached up and undid his tie, sliding it out of his shirt, and unbuttoning the top couple of buttons.

"You're making me nervous, Winchester. Hide your crazy until we get in the room, okay?"

He laughed, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. The elevator stopped, and his eyes grew wide. Oh, they better have that room ready. It better be good. Melinda turned to look at him, and he started humming the first song that came to his mind. As they stepped off the elevator, Melinda turned to him.

"Why in God's name are you running through the lyrics of _Enter Sandman_?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders, and followed Melinda down the hall to the room. He stepped in front of her, sliding the key in the door.

"After you, birthday girl."  
"Aw, that's so …"

The words trailed off as Melinda stepped into the room. Dean smiled as he stepped in behind her, closing the door behind them.

"Happy birthday, baby."  
"Oh, Dean."

She walked in the room, following the trail of rose petals, and picked up a handful from the bed, letting them slip through her fingers. She turned back to him, her smile causing his heart to do funny things.

"You did this for me?"  
"I might have had a little help."

Dean came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him.

"Your brother?"  
"And both of yours. Peyton. Paris."  
"Ooh, get the cupids in on it. Very nice."

Dean kissed the side of her head, then walked to the table.

"Champagne?"

Melinda nodded, and Dean poured them both a glass. She took hers on the way to the balcony, and they stood outside for a while in silence, watching the city lights twinkle below them. Melinda shivered and Dean walked up behind her, surrounding her. She turned her head, closing her eyes, and his lips met hers.

"Come on. There's something else."

Melinda's blue eyes mirrored the twinkle of the lights, and Dean couldn't help but smile. She walked into the room, shivering again, and Dean came up behind her, pulling her close to him. She smiled, and he rubbed his hands up and down her arms, then stepped away. She leaned up against the bed, while Dean leaned against the table. And when their eyes met, he felt something twist in his heart.

This was it.

Melinda leaned to set her glass down, and looked over to Dean as he spoke.

"You know, I … I've never been the one with the words, Mel."   
"You don't give yourself enough credit, Dean."

He smiled, and slipped his hands in his pockets. His fingers circled the ring box, and he took in a breath. He brought his eyes to hers.

"I love you. I have for a long time. Even before I could say it, I loved you. I think I fell for you the moment I saw you. You were so beautiful, and sweet. You were kind to me, and you didn't have to be. You helped me, and you certainly didn't have to do that, either. And when I got scared and ran off … You took me back. I will never be able to understand that, Mel."

A smile crossed her face.

"You do all kinds of crazy things when you're in love with someone, Dean."

He laughed.

"I know. Oh, trust me. I know."

He brought his eyes up from the ground, and met hers.

"I said I'd never do this, Mel. I promised myself a long, long time ago that I would never put myself in this situation. And I wouldn't do it to anyone else, either."

Her pretty face was confused, but Dean kept on going.

"My dad drilled it into me. Bobby, too. Even Sam, but I don't think he realized it. Hunters are loners. We're not supposed to have someone, because bad things always end up happening."

Melinda sighed.

"It's a chance, Dean. It's not about being a hunter. Falling in love is a risk, and a chance, but it's one worth taking."

He smiled, looking down at the ground again. She was stealing his lines. He pushed away from the table and walked to her, taking her hands.

"You're right, Mel. I wasn't ever going to take that chance. And then, one hot summer day, I ran into a pretty girl outside a little café."

Melinda smiled, looking down at their hands.

"You wrecked my world that day, pretty girl. Took everything that I had done, all that I'd made, and completely turned it inside out. It scared me for a while, but I came to my senses."   
"Kind of."

Dean laughed.

"Yeah, kind of. And I'm ready, Mel. I'm ready to take a chance, if you're ready to join me."   
"We're already kind of risky, Winchester. What's one more?"   
"We haven't done this yet."  
"What?"

He smiled, and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She was staring at him, and she closed her eyes, shaking her head just a bit.

"Okay, I'm confused. Dean, what exactly are you talking about?"

He smiled again, moving to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Let me show you."

Dean reached into his pocket, going down on one knee. Melinda's smile fell, and her mouth dropped open. Dean smiled at her.

"I love you, Prudence Melinda Halliwell. Will you take a chance with me?"   
"Oh my God, Dean."  
"Will you marry me?"

She covered her mouth with a hand as tears rolled down her cheeks. Dean popped the ring box open, and she let out a laughing gasp when she saw the ring. It was gorgeous, a good-sized diamond in the middle of two smaller ones, absolutely sparkling in the candlelight. Tears slid down her cheeks when she brought her eyes back to his. He smiled and swallowed, and she laughed.

"Dean Winchester… Of course I'll marry you."

His face changed, and she felt his surprise. He smiled, and laughed, pulling the ring out of the box and slipping it on her finger. He stood up and kissed her, holding her close to him, as they both laughed, while tears slid down both of their cheeks.


	8. She Said Yes

"I did it."

Melinda smiled a sleepy smile, looking down at Dean. His head was laying on her stomach, and he was holding her hand, playing with the ring he'd just recently slid on her finger.

"You certainly did."

Dean laughed.

"Not that, Mel."  
"Although _that_ was incredibly impressive."

They both laughed then, until Dean lay back down and Melinda started scratching his head. She let out a very contented sigh.

"Okay, what then?"  
"I told myself, when I slid this ring in my pocket this morning, that I would do my best to get you wearing nothing but this ring tonight."

Melinda laughed, and Dean looked up at her, smiling.

"You're such a dork, Dean."

He moved up, kissing her mouth.

"But I did it."

They laughed, and moved around to where they were laying side by side, looking at each other Melinda laid her hand on the pillow, where the ring sparkled in the dying candlelight. Dean smiled at her, and she studied his face.

"Hey, Dean?"  
"Yeah, babe."   
"Did you really think I wouldn't say yes?"

He sighed, and she saw exactly what he was thinking.

"Oh, Dean. Honey, you have got to have some faith in yourself. I love you so much, Dean. It would be stupid for me to turn you down, and I am not a stupid girl."   
"No, you are definitely not."

She smiled at him, glancing down at the ring again.

"You like it, don't you?"

She met his eyes, and a grin lit up her face.

"I love it."  
"Did you really not know?"   
"Honey, this is the absolute _last_ thing I thought you would ever do."  
"I can't believe we kept it a secret."  
"We? What "we"?"

Dean smiled and ran his fingers through a strand of her hair.

"Me and your entire family."  
"What?!"  
"Oh, yeah. They were all in on it. Your mom and Phoebe have been absolute wrecks for, like, a week."  
"I did notice the tears every time I came in the room."   
"Ever since I asked your dad, they just—"  
"Whoa, whoa, wait. Wait a second."

Melinda sat up, holding the covers to her chest, and Dean followed. She pushed her hair out of her face, and her blue eyes were soft.

"You asked my dad?"

Dean smiled.

"Yeah, I did. Cornered him in the garage one day, asked him if I could marry his baby girl."   
"I'm taking it he said yes."  
"Not only yes, but he gave me his blessing."

Melinda smiled, looking down at the ring, and back up to meet Dean's green eyes.

"You asked my dad for his permission to marry me."

Dean nodded, and Melinda smiled, taking hold of his face and pulling him with her, as she lay back.

* * *

 

Dean and Melinda went back to the Manor the next morning. Everyone was waiting in the kitchen for them, and Melinda fell out laughing when she saw their smiling faces. Peyton stood up, throwing her arms in the air.

"She said yes!"  
"Of course I said yes. Why are all of you—"

Melinda couldn't finish her sentence before her mom and Phoebe had wrapped her in their arms. Peyton went and gave Dean a big kiss on the cheek, and Sam hugged him. Peyton finally sighed, exasperated.

"All right, all right. I need to see the ring!"

Melinda smiled and held out her hand, and the women gasped. Peyton grabbed Melinda's hand.

"Holy shit, Mel."  
"Peyton Penelope, watch your mouth."  
"No, Phoebe, there really is no other word."

Dean laughed as they marveled over the ring, even Sam, and Leo stepped into the room. Melinda smiled and took her hand back from Peyton, then walked over to Leo. He smiled at her, and she stepped into his embrace. Leo closed his eyes, resting his head atop hers. Piper closed her eyes, blinking back tears, and Peyton and Phoebe put their hands over their hearts.

"Thank you for giving him permission, Daddy."   
"He just better not screw up again."  
"I don't think he will."  
"Neither do I, baby. Are you happy?"

She nodded.

"You like the ring?"

Melinda's face broke out in a huge smile, while Peyton let out a breath.

"Wait a minute. Uncle Leo, you knew what the ring looked like?"  
"Of course. You don't think this clown went and picked it out on his own, do you?"

Melinda laughed, kissing Leo's cheek. Peyton shook her head, as Melinda came to sit in Dean's lap, letting her hand drift over by Peyton. Peyton grinned as she studied the ring some more, and Sam spoke up.

"All right. We've got to go celebrate."   
"Yes!"   
"Anna and Jenny have a live band at P3 tonight."

Peyton stood up, tugging Melinda with her.

"We've got to get ready."   
"Peyton, it's the middle of the morning."  
"So?! Come on!"

Sam just shook his head, walking out the back door to answer his ringing cell phone, leaving Dean alone with Piper, Leo, and Phoebe. Dean took the last sip of the coffee he'd gotten while everyone was fussing over Melinda's ring and tried not to sweat. Piper leaned over and patted his arm.

"You did good, Dean."

Phoebe nodded.

"You did. She is so happy. And that ring is fabulous."

Dean smiled.

"Well, I did have a little help with it."

Leo slapped him on the back, and Phoebe reached to take one of his hands.

"You take care of our girl, okay?"

Dean nodded, gripping Phoebe's hand.

"I promise, I always will."

That night, the boys weren't hunters. The girls weren't witches. They were just people, hanging out, having a good time celebrating an engagement. It was as close to normal as they could get, and the hangovers they suffered through the next morning were totally worth it.

Because later, they would look back and say that was the last night that they were all together and happy. That night would be the last time they were able to take an easy breath. That night was the night before the other shoe fell, before the bottom fell out, and their happy little world was shattered to pieces they weren't entirely sure they could ever put back together again.


	9. Dream On

Two days after her birthday, in the middle of the night, Melinda woke up after hearing a strange noise. She laid a hand to Dean's chest and he woke up.

"What the hell is that?"

They sat for a minute, trying to place the noise, when it stopped. A few seconds later, it started again, and Melinda sighed.

"Phone. Your phone's ringing."

Dean grabbed the vibrating phone from her nightstand and flipped on the lamp. Melinda lay back, covering her eyes. Dean sighed and answered the phone.

"This better be damn important. … Bobby? Are you all right? … Because it's… What the hell time is it?"  
"2:57."  
"Thank you, baby. Because it's 2:57 in the blessed morning, Bobby. … Yeah, I'm- When was the last time you slept?"  
"Oh, for the love of God."

Melinda sat up and took the phone from Dean.

"Bobby, it's Mel. What is going on? … Are you sure? … Oh, crap."

Dean grabbed her hand just as she started reaching for him.

"And where was it again? … Okay. … Yeah, we'll get a jump on it. … Okay, Bobby. Thanks."

Melinda hung up the phone and let out a shuddering breath. Dean reached up to touch her head.

"Mel, what is it?"

She swallowed.

"Bobby has found a town in western Missouri. Signs are going off all over that something big is about to happen, and lucky for us, being so close to Halloween… Surely a seal will soon be broken."

Dean sighed.

"All right. We'll head out in the morning."

Melinda nodded, and settled back on Dean's chest. He had his arms around her, and they drifted back to sleep. But just before the sun came up, Melinda woke up again. Something was wrong. She was laying on her pillow, covered by the blankets. She was so used to sleeping all wrapped up with Dean. She knew he was still in the bed, because she could feel him there. She rolled over to look at him and sat up. He was pale, covered in sweat, with an expression on his face that she'd never seen before. He jerked in his sleep, making a low noise, sounding a lot like a wounded animal. Melinda pushed the covers back and touched his bare shoulder. He was cold.

"Oh my god. Dean. Baby, wake up. Dean, come on."

He made that noise again, closer to a sob this time.

"Come on, Winchester. Wake up."

She moved her hands to his face, and after a second, his eyes flew open. They were wide and wild, as he frantically looked around the room. Melinda started rubbing his face gently.

"Hey, hey. Everything's okay. I'm here, Dean. It was just a dream. You're all right."

His green eyes met hers, and she smiled.

"It's all right, honey. You're okay."  
"Mel?"  
"I'm right here, Dean."

He let out a breath, moving to run his hands through his hair. He sat up, and Melinda moved a hand to his back, gently rubbing up and down. She moved and pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he let his eyes close.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Dean shook his head, letting a hand come up to rub at his shoulder, where Castiel's handprint was still burned into his skin. Melinda nodded.

"Well, I'll be here when you do."

Dean nodded.

"Yeah. I, uh… We need to get going."

He climbed out of bed and headed for the shower, leaving Melinda in the bed alone. She sighed, then started for the kitchen. She stopped by Peyton's room, and Peyton rolled over in the bed, eyes open, smiling at Melinda. Melinda smiled back, and Peyton crawled out of bed, pulling a robe on.

"It's cold in this house before the sun comes up."

Melinda nodded, and Peyton took her hand as they walked downstairs. They didn't have to say anything. Peyton could tell that something was wrong. She could feel Melinda's worry and just a hint of fear. Melinda walked to the coffee pot and started it up. Peyton bent over the bar, as Melinda turned around, crossing her arms over her chest. Peyton smiled.

"What's wrong, Melly?"

Melinda sighed.

"Bobby called last night."

Peyton stood up straight.

"Is it bad?"  
"Could be."  
"Do we need to…?"

Melinda nodded.

"Little town in Missouri. Bobby said it's starting to be kind of a hotspot. And with it being so close to Halloween…"  
"Obviously, we're going for a seal here."

Melinda nodded, and Peyton smiled gently.

"That's not what's bothering you, though."

Melinda sighed, glancing out the window. Peyton stepped closer to her.

"Mel, what is it?"

Melinda shook her head.

"Dean, he… I guess he had a bad dream. A nightmare."  
"About what?"  
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me."

Peyton nodded, waiting for Melinda to go on, which she did.

"He was covered in sweat, but his skin was so cold. He was making these noises, Peyton. Like he … like he was being tortured or something."

Melinda was shaking her head, and she crossed her arms, hugging herself.

"You should have heard him, Peyton. It was … I can't get that sound out of my head. When he finally woke up, his eyes were wide, almost crazy. When he finally saw me, the way he looked at me… His eyes were full of pain."

She let out a breath, as Peyton did the same thing.

"Oh, Mel."  
"He just got up and left. He wouldn't even look at me after that, Peyton."  
"Mel, it wasn't you."  
"I know that. I just … He's bottling it up, and obviously, this is not something he needs to keep to himself."

Peyton nodded, smiling a soft smile.

"He'll talk when he's ready, Mel."

Melinda nodded.

"I hope you're right."

Melinda turned and poured them each a cup of coffee, bringing the creamer out of the fridge with her powers and setting it before Peyton. Peyton smiled, and Melinda winked at her.

"We need to hit the road soon, so drink up. And someone needs to go wake up the tall one."


	10. Witchy Woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next two deal with Supernatural's Season 4 episode "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester." Recognizable situations and dialogue come from that episode and do not belong to me. I just borrowed and made it fit in this 'verse. :)

Melinda stuck the keys to the Impala in her pocket with a smile. It hadn't been easy, convincing Dean to let her drive. It was the girls' turn to work the scene, while the boys got a room and started researching. Dean had whined, bitched and moaned, but after Melinda promised to protect the car with her life, along with a few other promises, Dean had relinquished the keys. She and Peyton walked into the house, taking their sunglasses off as they did. Peyton fluffed her hair over her shoulders and walked over to a cop. Melinda followed, and the cop gave them both a smile and a slow once-over.

"Can I help you ladies with something?"

Peyton smiled.

"I'm Agent Crow with the FBI. This is my partner, Agent Benatar."

They flashed their (fake) badges, as the cop's face fell. Melinda wanted to laugh out loud, but she didn't. He led the girls into the kitchen, where there was still blood on the floor, to the victim's lost-looking wife, who was sitting at the table. Peyton sighed and walked over to the woman.

They had discovered shortly after hitting the road that Peyton was a brilliant interrogator. As an empath, she was hard-wired to feel exactly what someone else was feeling. By opening herself up, she could tell when someone was lying, or if their tears were real. Dean had gotten good at playing "bad cop" to Peyton's "good cop," which left Sam and Melinda on research. Melinda had an almost photographic memory, plus a vast knowledge of random crap, nearly mirroring Sam. But they would switch it up every now and then, because Melinda's freezing power could come in handy.

While Peyton questioned the wife, Melinda walked through the kitchen. She gave it a thorough once-over before opening cabinets, the oven, the microwave. Peyton would glance at her every now and then, and Melinda would shake her head. Melinda opened the refrigerator, sighing when she closed it, until she noticed the tiny scuff mark on the floor. She turned to look back at Peyton, and wiggled her fingers. Peyton nodded, and reached to lay a hand on the woman's arm. When she did, Melinda froze the room, and Peyton relaxed back in her chair.

"What did you find, Mel?"  
"I'm not sure yet. I need to move the fridge."

Peyton nodded as Melinda stepped back, moving her hand slowly, the refrigerator following her movements. She stopped, bending down.

"Son of a bitch."

Peyton smiled, shaking her head. Dean was rubbing off on Melinda way too much. The smile fell from Peyton's face when she saw what Melinda held up.

"Let's wrap this up and hit the road, Peyt."

Peyton nodded, taking her place again as Melinda unfroze the room. Peyton said a few more things, leaving a card with the woman. Melinda drove back to the motel, where the boys were waiting. One room this time, two beds. Melinda tossed the keys to Dean when the girls walked in.

"Baby's fine, Dean."

He breathed a sigh of relief, and Peyton let out a laugh. Sam was sitting at the table, books in front of him. He looked up at them.

"What did you find?"  
"Guy goes to sneak a piece of Halloween candy, coughs up four razor blades."

Dean made a face as Melinda stripped off her jacket. Peyton walked over to Sam and ruffled his hair.

"Wife's clean. She's devastated, blown away."

Sam nodded as Melinda reached in her jacket.

"But I found this behind the fridge."

Dean stood up.

"Is that a—"  
"Hex bag? Yep."

Dean let out a groan.

"Freakin' witches. I hate witches."

Peyton and Melinda gave him a look, while Sam coughed once, shaking his head. Dean sighed.

"Not you. The … nasty ones. The hex bag ones. Witches are so skeevy."

Melinda shook her head as she sat at the table by Sam. She opened the hex bag, and a confused look crossed all of their faces. Dean scratched at his head.

"Not the usual."  
"Hey, heads up."

They turned to Sam, who was bent back in his chair, ear to the police scanner.

"Sounds like we got another one."

* * *

 

Hours later, Melinda and Peyton came walking back in. Dean was asleep on the bed, a book beside him, while Sam was bent over a book at the table. Melinda tossed the keys, hitting Dean in the chest and waking him up. Dean sat up with a yawn as Peyton pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

"Girl goes bobbing for apples and drowns when the water begins to boil."

The guys stopped, raising their eyebrows. Dean looked to Melinda.

"Another hex bag?"  
"Had to cut it out of the couch."

Peyton tossed the hex bag to Sam, who opened it. Melinda looked to Dean and stretched her arms.

"Anything on our first vic?"

Dean shook his head.

"So vanilla he made vanilla seem spicy. Absolutely no reason I can find for anyone wanting revenge."  
"I have a gut feeling that vic number 2 will turn up the same way."

Sam groaned from the table and rubbed his eyes. Peyton went to stand behind him and began to rub his shoulders. Melinda walked over, taking the seat across from Sam. He pushed a book towards her.

"Maybe you can find out what this is. I've been searching through these books, but I can't find it."

Melinda nodded and opened the book, then sat back as the pages began to flip. She and Peyton shared a smile as the book settled on a page.

"Okay, this twisty herb right here is goldthread. It's been extinct for a couple hundred years."

She looked up to Sam, who scratched his head.

"Okay, that's weird. I did find that these are Celtic coins, and those—"

Sam motioned to Dean, who was holding the items in his hand.

"Are the charred metacarpals of a newborn baby."

Dean yelped as he set the bones back down, wiping his hands on his jeans. Sam and Melinda shared a sigh, settling in for a long night of research.

* * *

 

The next morning, Peyton woke up with the sun, looking over to see Dean sprawled across his bed. Sam was slumped over a book at the table, sound asleep. Melinda was sitting back in a chair, with her eyes closed.

"Mel?"

Melinda quietly answered Peyton's whisper, but kept her eyes closed.

"Do you remember those reports we had to do in like, third grade? About the holidays?"  
"Oh, yeah. I had, what, Arbor Day? And you had—"  
"Halloween."

Melinda opened her eyes and patted the book in front of her.

"Found it."

Peyton yawned as she stood up, stretching. She walked over to Melinda, resting her hands on her shoulders.

"Did you sleep any?"

Melinda shook her head.

"You and Dean were out before midnight. I lost Sam just south of 2:00."  
"Melly…"  
"Peyt, we need to stop this thing. I can sleep later. When this is all over."

Peyton sighed, running a hand over Melinda's hair before going to take a shower. Dean stirred and Melinda wrote a few more notes, then glanced over at him. A smile crossed her face.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty!"

Dean smiled at her, walking over and bending to kiss her. He glanced at the table, saw the opened books and the copious amount of notes in Melinda's handwriting.

"Did you sleep at all?"

Melinda shook her head, and Dean sighed.

"Mel…"  
"Later, Dean. I can sleep when this is over. Trust me, we've got bigger fish to fry."

Dean leaned over the table and flicked Sam's ear. Sam woke with a start, sighing when he saw Melinda's work.

"Mel, why'd you let me sleep?"  
"Oh, I wanted to have all the fun all by myself."

Sam sighed as he stood up, stretching. Melinda and Dean grimaced as they heard his bones pop. Peyton came out of the bathroom, her hair wrapped up in a towel. She walked over and kissed Sam, and he took a seat beside her on the bed. Dean took Sam's old chair at the table, and they all looked to Melinda, who smiled.

"Okay. Our victims were disgustingly squeaky clean. So, Sam and I were thinking, what if this is not your run-of-the-mill witch work? What if this isn't about vengeance, but a spell?"

She pointed to a book on the table.

"That's when I found this. The ingredients of the hex bags are part of a ritual to raise a demon. And not just any demon. Samhain."

Dean just blinked at her, but Peyton nodded.

"I remember you telling me something about him… But I was 8, so I really didn't pay attention."

Melinda smiled at Peyton.

"I know. Samhain is pretty much the origin of Halloween. Centuries ago, people would wear masks to hide their faces from him. Faces carved into pumpkins were to worship him."

They nodded, and Melinda sighed.

"This isn't just a run-of-the-mill demon raising, guys. The spell involves three blood sacrifices, ending on the last day of the final harvest. Which is …? Any guesses?"  
"Halloween."  
"And Sam for the win. We're already two down, and up to bat again. And we're dealing with some heavyweight witchcraft here. This ritual can only be performed every 600 years, and we're rolling around on mile marker 600 tomorrow night."

Melinda tapped the book in front of her with a finger.

"Samhain is not one we want to mess with. He is the epitome of 'misery loves company.' If he's raised, he has the power to raise all kinds of unmentionables. Demons, ghosts, ghouls, and that's just the beginning. All the things that go bump in the night, every single nightmare you've ever had, Samhain can bring it up and lay it out for us."

They nodded, and Dean stood up.

"Then let's gank this witch before she gets number three and get the hell out of dodge, shall we?"


	11. Bad Things

Peyton and Melinda went around, asking a few more questions, and gaining a pretty good insight from the high school art teacher. Sam and Dean went poking around some more, and they met back at the hotel around noon. The girls stopped at the door, and the boys pushed them back, guns drawn, until Melinda stopped them.

"Wait, wait! That's Castiel."

Dean looked closer, and put his gun down. He glanced at the man standing near the window, exchanging a glance with Melinda. She shrugged her shoulders, and Dean slid the gun back into the waistband of his jeans at the small of his back.

"Next time, Cas, try a knock."

Castiel stood up from his seat on the couch, turning to face them. Melinda smiled, and Castiel offered one back to her before facing Dean.

"Have you located the witch?"

Dean and Sam exchanged a look, then spoke at the same time.

"Yes."  
"Is the witch dead?"

Melinda and Peyton glanced at each other, before Peyton cleared her throat.

"Not quite yet."  
"What did I tell you, Castiel?"

As Castiel sighed, Melinda looked back at the man standing at the window, with his back to them.

"Who is this?"

Castiel ignored Melinda's question, turning to Dean again.

"The witch must die, Dean. It is imperative that she be destroyed."  
"And she will be."  
"Castiel, you know what we must do."

They all looked at the other man, and Melinda let out her breath.

"Seriously, Chuckles. Who the hell are you?"

He turned to face them. A tall black man, he was wearing a suit with no tie, looking out of place next to Castiel, whose ill-fitting suit and dirty trench coat gave no air to his true identity as a powerful angel. The other man definitely looked like the part, and just from the few sentences he spoke, Melinda already didn't care for him. Castiel motioned to him.

"This is Uriel. He is … what you would call a specialist."  
"A specialist of what?"

Castiel looked to Melinda, and his sapphire-blue eyes seemed tired.

"You must leave town immediately."

Everyone started to protest, until Uriel sighed. Peyton, who had been hovering behind Sam, spoke up.

"Why? We've done all the work, located the witch. We just have to stop her before the next sacrifice."  
"Which will be tonight. And your carelessness nearly cost one or all of you your lives."

Melinda crossed her arms over her chest.

"What are you talking about?"

Castiel leaned over, picking a hex bag up off of the nightstand.

"This was in the wall of this room. If we hadn't found it…"

Dean reached back and took Melinda's hand. He ran his thumb over the ring she hadn't taken off since he slipped it on her finger. Castiel sighed, looking at Dean.

"You need to pack up and go now."  
"Why, Cas?"

Castiel looked back to Uriel, who smiled.

"Because we're going to destroy this town."

Everyone was silent for a minute, until Sam spoke up, in a choked voice.

"Destroy it? The entire town?"

Castiel and Uriel nodded at the same time. Sam shook his head.

"There are like a thousand people here!"  
"One thousand, two hundred and fourteen, to be precise."  
"And you're just going to kill them all?"

Uriel stepped closer to them.

"It wouldn't be the first time. I have gone to greater lengths to purify a city."

Dean shook his head.

"No. No, wait just a damn minute. No one's getting destroyed, except for this witch."

Castiel sighed as Uriel stepped closer to Dean.

"You are not in charge here, Winchester. This is not up to you."  
"Wanna bet? I'm not going to stand here and let you level this town for one stupid witch."  
"That is not the reason, Dean."  
"Then what is, Cas? Enlighten me, please."

Castiel nodded, looking at the four people in front of him.

"The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals."  
"Oh, I knew it."

Melinda let out a shaky breath as Dean took her in his arms. Melinda turned her face in to his chest, and Dean looked back to Castiel.

"The witch has to die. The seal must be saved. No matter the cost."  
"We'll stop this, Cas. Don't destroy the town."  
"You are in over your head, Winchester. You have no clue what you're up against."  
"Won't be the first time."

Uriel smiled.

"If we're lucky, it will be the last."  
"You son of a bitch."

Melinda raised her hands, but Castiel grabbed them, shaking his head. He let out another sigh.

"You have tonight. If the witch is not destroyed, and the seal kept from being broken, we will destroy the town."  
"Whether you are in it or not."

And just like that, they were gone.

Melinda closed her eyes as she let out a breath. Sam ran a hand over Peyton's head, and Dean sighed.

"Let's get a plan, then."

* * *

 

That night, close to midnight, they gathered at the basement of the school. And nothing went as they had planned. The girl who they thought was the witch was tied up, and the art teacher was reciting an incantation. He went to slit the girl's throat, when Dean shot him three times. The girl was so happy to be rescued, until she revealed that the spell was a two-person job. She pinned them to the floor, and Melinda hit her head, getting knocked out. At Dean's insistence, Peyton was able to take hold of Melinda's hand and teleport them out. The girl continued with the spell, and Samhain was resurrected.

Lying on the floor, Dean and Sam could only watch in horror. Sam slid over to where the teacher's body had been, where blood was pooled on the floor. Sam dipped his hand in the blood, wiping it on his face, then Dean's.

"Sam, what the hell?!"  
"Just follow my lead."

He laid back, closing his eyes, and Dean did the same. Once they heard Samhain snap the girl's neck, then walk out, they got to their feet, and at the look on Dean's face, Sam sighed.

"People used to wear masks to hide from him. I took a chance."  
"You took … you took a chance?!"  
"Dean, we've got more important things to do. Come on."

Peyton and Melinda were by the car when Sam and Dean came outside. Melinda was rubbing the back of her head, and Peyton went to Sam, then backed off.

"What the hell is all over your face?"  
"Blood. It's a long story."  
"Did you get him?"

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance, and Melinda sighed. Dean walked over to her.

"Did you call Chris?"

Melinda shook her head.

"We can't keep calling him every time one of us skins our knees, Dean."  
"You could have a concussion."  
"I'm fine. Let's worry about Samhain. He's obviously gone to resurrect some buddies. If you were a centuries old demon looking for a few good men, where would you go?"  
"Cemetery."

Sam, Dean, and Peyton spoke at the same time, and they crawled in the car and left.

* * *

 

At the cemetery, they decided that Sam and Melinda would go after Samhain, while Dean and Peyton took care of the ghosts and zombies. But in the crypt, Dean was trapped when a ghost shoved him in a grave. Sam heard Peyton yelling, and he and Melinda turned back.

"Mel, go."  
"Sam, you can't take him on alone."  
"I'll be fine. Peyton and Dean need your help."  
"Sam…"  
"Go, Mel."

She nodded, tossing Ruby's knife to him before jogging back to the crypt. Sam smiled when he heard the screams, as Melinda blew up whatever she was facing. Sam walked inside a chapel, glancing down a long hall. At the end was Samhain. Sam made his way down the hall, until Samhain turned around, sending out a bright blast of light. Sam chuckled when the light died down, as the demon gave him a shocked look.

"Sorry. I'm kind of immune to your demon ray-gun blast."

Samhain came running at Sam, who stopped him with a few punches. He pulled Ruby's knife out of his pocket, cutting Samhain's arm, until the demon knocked it out of his hand. Sam was thrown at the wall, but he quickly got to his feet, holding up a hand, and Samhain stopped in his tracks. That shocked look came back on the demon's face, as little bits of black smoke came out of his gunshot wounds. He pressed forward, and Sam's nose began to bleed. Sam pressed a hand to his forehead, as more smoke came out, and the demon smiled. Sam kept on, crying out, and watched as the demon lit up as the knife sank into his chest. Samhain fell to the ground, leaving a beautiful, yet pissed-off brunette standing behind him. She cocked an eyebrow, and Sam sighed.

"I almost had him, Ruby."  
"You're kidding, right? My god, you are a hell of a lot stupider than you look."

She handed him a cloth, and he held it to his nose. Ruby cleaned off her knife and stuck it in the back waistband of her jeans, setting her hands on her hips.

"Sam, we've talked about this."

He sighed.

"Can we just skip the 'I told you so,' Ruby?"  
"What do you think? You're sloppy, Sam. Out of shape."  
"Ruby…"  
"I told you this would happen. You wanted to put it away, hide it from your brother. Fine. I tried to talk you out of that, but you wouldn't listen. I told you, Sam. You can't just bring it up when you want to. You have to work at it, practice with it. And you know what makes you stronger."  
"No."  
"Sam, it's—"  
"I said no, Ruby."

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's been more than two years, Sam. You only had it for four months while Dean was downstairs, and you've put it on the back burner for two friggin' years."  
"Not really."  
"Oh, what? Those 'trips' you took with 'Bobby' every now and then?"  
"They didn't know I was really with you."  
"Right. Thanks for that, by the way. I don't feel like a whore at all."

Sam blew out his breath, tossing the cloth down. Ruby walked up close to him.

"Sam, you know what you have to do."  
"I can't, Ruby."  
"You can. You just don't want to."

Sam sighed.

"If you really want to kill Lilith, this is the only way. And you know that."

They locked eyes, and Sam smiled.

"There has to be some other way."

Ruby shook her head, pulling the knife out and handing it to him.

"Here. I'll go before your motley crew shows up."

Sam nodded, and she blew out her breath.

"Would a 'thank you for saving my ass, Ruby' kill you?"

He smiled.

"Thank you for saving my ass, Ruby."

She waved a hand as she walked down the hall, disappearing just before Dean, Melinda, and Peyton came running in. Peyton ran into Sam's arms, and he caught her, sighing as Dean and Melinda stood over the dead body.


	12. Talk

The day after Halloween, Melinda was alone in the hotel room, packing up. She stopped, laying a hand to her forehead, letting out a quiet moan. She heard a fluttering behind her, felt a hand settle on the back of her head. And she let out a breath as the pain disappeared. She turned around, smiling.

"Thanks, Cas."  
"That was a particularly bad concussion, Melinda."  
"I know. I could tell."   
"What would you have done, if I had not come?"

Melinda smiled, settled back on the bed.

"I knew you'd come. If you didn't, I would have called Chris."

Castiel sighed.

"We can't keep doing this. You should tell Dean when you get hurt like that."  
"Cas, it's worked for us for the past year. And I know you do the same thing for him."

Castiel sighed again, and Melinda leaned forward.

"What's on your mind, angel?"

He smiled at her, and took a seat on the couch. She walked over, taking the seat beside him.

"Melinda, our orders were not to stop the breaking of this seal."  
"What?"   
"Our orders … were to do whatever Dean said."  
"Wait a second. Your orders were to follow Dean's orders?"

Castiel nodded.

"It was to see how he would function under a battlefield situation."  
"A battlefield… ?"

Castiel sighed, and Melinda turned to face the angel beside her.

"What do you mean, you were to follow Dean? Why him?"

Castiel closed his bright blue eyes, running a hand over his face.

"Dean has a heavy weight on his shoulders, Melinda. Heaven has high hopes for him."  
"So this was just a test."

Castiel nodded.

"It was not the first, and it will not be the last."   
"Castiel, I don't understand."  
"Neither do I."

Castiel sighed, and Melinda bit her lip.

"Well, did Dean pass your little test?"  
"I am not sure. I am having a hard time distinguishing what is right and what is wrong. I do know that I was pulling for him to save the town. And he did. And even though you were able to stop Samhain, the seal was still broken, which means we are one step closer to hell on Earth."  
"I know, Cas."  
"That is not just an expression, Melinda. It is literal."

Melinda let out a sigh, covering her mouth as she yawned. Castiel smiled softly.

"Are you tired?"

Melinda let her hands cover her eyes and she let out a laugh.

"Oh, yeah. I haven't slept in almost three days."   
"Why not?"

She let out a sigh.

"Well, I'm all on edge over this stupid seal breaking/Apocalypse thing. Then I was so focused on stopping this that I stayed up all night to research. And last night, when we finally did get to sleep, Dean had another nightmare. I told you about the first, right?"

Castiel nodded. He and Melinda met often, to talk and strategize. Of course, he met with Dean nearly the same amount. He knew more about the nightmares than she realized, but he couldn't let her know that. He decided to play dumb.

"I do not understand why you do not know what he is dreaming about. With the bond that you two share…"

Melinda smiled.

"We've had it for a little over a year, Cas. We've managed to come up with a way to sort of block the other one out. I can put Dean on mute, basically. Sometimes it's too strong to block, though. And I can still feel him, if he's hurt. But I can keep it where he doesn't hear my thoughts. And apparently, he can keep it where I can't see his dreams."

She thought back to the night before, when she heard him start to whimper again, felt him turning over a few times. She got up and was able to calm him down, not waking Sam and Peyton in the process. He had gone ahead and gotten up, showered, packed, and Melinda hadn't been able to fall asleep.

"He won't tell me what's wrong. And he'll just go on like nothing happened. He won't talk about it, and if I try to bring it up, he shuts down."

Castiel nodded, and Melinda took a good look at the angel.

"You know what the nightmare is, don't you, Cas?"

He looked up at her, blue eyes solemn. Melinda smiled.

"You do."

Castiel looked down at his hands.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Castiel shook his head.

"He will talk when he is ready. Just listen when he does."  
"Of course."

Melinda yawned again, and Castiel smiled. She smiled back to him.

"Maybe I'll sleep in the car. I don't even know where we're going this time."   
"Ghost problem in San Antonio, Texas."

Melinda smiled.

"Thanks, Cas."

He nodded, and he was gone. Melinda zipped up her bag and opened the door, just as Dean was trying to open it, and they shared a laugh.

"Hey, baby. Ready to go?"

Melinda nodded, and slid her sunglasses on her face. Dean took hold of her bag, loading it in the trunk. Sam was behind the wheel, Peyton in the passenger's seat. Dean and Melinda climbed in the back, and she stretched out across the seat, laying her head in Dean's lap.

And twelve hours later, when they arrived in town, she finally woke up.

* * *

 

A week later, they were relaxing in a little town in Louisiana. The ghost problem in San Antonio had been a quick salt-and-burn, and the vampire issue that popped up in Arkansas was quickly taken care of. They had checked out a possible werewolf situation in Monroe, Louisiana, but it was a bust. Therefore, they found themselves in a bar, the boys making a little money hustling pool, while the girls enjoyed a few free drinks from local (clueless) guys.

Melinda leaned back in her chair, smiling after that last shot of tequila and looked back. The smile slid from her face when a short, pretty brunette at the end of the bar caught her eye. After glancing back at Sam and Dean, who were in the midst of trash-talking at the pool table, Melinda threw up her hands, making the room come to a halt. Peyton hopped off of her bar stool.

"Mel? Melinda!"  
"I'm fine. Over here."

Peyton walked over, skirting past immobile bodies, making her way to Melinda.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Melinda pointed to a table in the corner, where the exotic-looking brunette was frozen over her beer.

"What?"  
"That's Ruby."  
"Come again?"  
"Ruby, the demon Sam and Dean were so buddy-buddy with."   
" _That's_ Ruby?"

Melinda nodded.

"She came to see me, remember? To talk about the demon bounty on the boys?"  
"Oh, right. Maybe you should unfreeze them, so we could tell them."

Melinda nodded, turning back and spotting Sam and Dean. She raised a hand and twirled it, and they came to life. It took them a second, but they found Melinda and Peyton, and hurried over to them. Dean laid a hand on the back of Melinda's head.

"Baby, what is it? What's wrong?"  
"Look over there."

Dean followed her gaze, completely missing the way Sam's face went pale. Dean shrugged his shoulders.

"What am I looking at? The girl?"  
"The girl is Ruby, Dean."   
"What?!"

He reached back for the knife and Melinda caught his arm.

"Easy there, cowboy. I think she might be on your side."  
"Mel, you can't be serious."  
"Well, I mean, she did help you that year before you … You know. And she came to warn me about the demons out for you."   
"Maybe we should give her a chance before we waste her, Dean."

Dean sighed, then nodded at his brother's remark. Melinda patted his shoulder.

"Go take your places and I'll unfreeze the room. We'll go talk to her."

They nodded, and walked back to their spots. Melinda sighed and rolled her eyes, and Sam and Dean switched spots, and she unfroze the room. People went back to talking, drinking, dancing. And Melinda and Peyton hopped off their barstools, Sam and Dean dropped their pool sticks on the table, and the girls slid into the booth beside Ruby. She smiled, turning to Dean, who was standing behind Melinda.

"Hey, long time no see. How'd hell treat you, Dean?"

He looked down for a moment, then met her dark eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here, Ruby?"  
"I just have some info, then I'm gone."

Dean's hand was itching to gank her with her own knife, so Melinda reached up to take his hand. Ruby saw the ring sparkling on Melinda's finger, and her eyes widened.

"Well, well. Mazel tov."  
"Ruby, what are you doing here?"  
"You're more impatient than I remembered, Sam."

Neither one gave any indication that would acknowledge the lie. Peyton looked from Ruby to Sam, and a funny look crossed her face. Melinda tapped on Peyton's foot with her own, and Peyton seemed to come back to reality. Melinda turned to Ruby.

"What's the scoop, Ruby?"

Ruby took a sip of the beer in front of her.

"Girl escaped from a locked ward yesterday. Name's Anna Milton, and the demons seem pretty keen on finding her."  
"Any clue why?"

Ruby shook her head at Sam.

"Nope, but some pretty heavy hitters have turned out for this Easter egg hunt. I'm thinking it's got to be something of importance, because the order is to capture her alive."

They exchanged glances, and Dean smiled.

"Why should we believe a word that comes out of your mouth?"

Ruby gave him a look.

"Because once upon a time, we were friends."  
"We were _never_ friends."  
"Close enough. And Lilith got rid of me when she killed you, remember? That's why I'm in this tiny little body now. And brunette, for Christ's sake."

Dean did remember, and he tightened his grip on Melinda's hand. She rubbed her thumb on his hand.

"I'm still on your side, Dean. I'm just thinking, it might help you to grab this girl before the demons do."

Dean looked down at Melinda, letting her read his thoughts. She opened her mind, did the same for him. And after a minute, Melinda turned to Ruby.

"Okay, we'll bite. Where did this girl jump the looney bin?"


	13. Absolutely (Story of a Girl)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter (and the last little bit of the last chapter) starts an arc that follows along with SPN's Season 4 episodes "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Heaven and Hell." (Couple of my favorites, actually.) Any recognizable places, characters, dialogue, etc. belong to the writers and not me.

Sam and Melinda came walking back into the motel, where Dean and Peyton had been. Dean sat up as Melinda shed her jacket and sat in front of him on the bed. He smiled and began kneading her shoulders. She gave a little sigh of relief, then spoke.

"So this Anna girl is definitely real."  
"Yeah, we grabbed the missing person's report."  
"Well, all signs point to a bad case of the crazies. Except for…"

Melinda pointed to Sam, who pulled papers out of his jacket pocket.

"Her shrink let us have these. Anna was almost obsessive with drawing."

Sam held up the pictures, stopping when he held one up. Peyton stood up and took it from him.

"Holy crap."  
"Let me see that."

Dean held out his hand and Peyton handed him the drawing. Dean looked at Melinda, who nodded.

"She's drawing seals. Ones that have already been broken. "

Sam cleared his throat as he took his tie off.

"The shrink diagnosed Anna as a schizophrenic. Said her delusions had religious overtones, because Anna's dad is a deacon in the church. But Dean, she knows everything. The seals, Lilith, Lucifer, the Apocalypse."  
"Sam and I decided that's got to be why the demons want her."

Peyton took a seat near Dean, looking over his shoulder at the drawings. Melinda stood up, walking around.

"Sam and I went to check out her house, talk to her parents, but…"

Sam sighed.

"Demons beat us there. Sulfuric residue was by the bodies."

Peyton looked up, and Melinda drew a finger across her throat. Peyton laid a hand to her heart. Sam went on.

"But, we also found this."

Sam pulled a picture out of his jacket, and flipped to a drawing. Peyton studied for a moment.

"They match."

Sam nodded.

"Anna kept drawing the stained-glass window of her church."

Melinda walked over, kneeling behind Dean on the bed.

"So, let's say I'm Girl, Interrupted, and I know the score of the Apocalypse. I've been fairly religious all my life, got demons breathing down my neck. Where would I go to feel safe?"

* * *

 

They pulled up in front of the church half an hour later. As usual, they walked in with Dean and Sam in front, guns drawn, Peyton in close proximity to them just in case the need arose for a quick getaway, and Melinda in the back, primed and ready for an attack. The church was silent, and they made their way up the stairs, to a seemingly empty room. Peyton stopped at the door, letting out a shuddering breath. Sam turned back to her, and she nodded as Melinda stepped closer. Peyton whispered.

"She's here, and she's terrified. She feels scared and alone, and she's so confused. She's not a threat. Put the guns up, and be gentle."

Sam and Dean nodded, sliding the guns into place at their backs. Sam cleared his throat.

"Anna? Are you here? It's okay; we're not going to hurt you. We're here to help."

There was no reply, so Peyton spoke.

"Anna, my name is Peyton. I'm here with Sam, Dean, and Melinda. We just want to help you."  
"Sam? Not—not Sam Winchester?"

Sam stopped, exchanging a glance with Dean.

"Uh, yeah, actually."

From around the corner, a tall, skinny redhead peeked out. She walked into the middle of the area where she was. The sunlight, colored by the stained-glass, fell all around her, giving her an almost ethereal appearance. The girls smiled. She was beautiful, and looked so very fragile. A smile crossed the girl's face.

"Sam Winchester. Which makes you Dean. _The_ Dean."

Dean smiled.

"Uh yeah, I guess. I'm The Dean."

Sam rolled his eyes, and Dean grunted as Melinda's elbow plowed into his ribs. She mouthed "Sorry" as she walked to stand beside him. Anna's smile grew.

"It's really you. Oh, and you are the Halliwells. The witches."

Melinda and Peyton smiled as they nodded. Anna clasped her hands together.

"They talk about you all the time."

They exchanged glances, and Melinda spoke.

"Who is 'they,' Anna?"

The redhead smiled.

"The angels."

Anna motioned to Dean.

"You were in hell, until Castiel pulled you out. The angels say you can help save us. You and Melinda are bonded together, and you make a great team."

Anna turned to Sam, glancing at his face before looking down at the floor.

"And some of them don't like you at all."

Anna looked back up with a smile.

"They talk about you, about all of you, all the time lately. I… I feel like I know you."

There was silence, until Dean spoke.

"You talk to angels?"

Anna shook her head.

"Oh, no. No way. They talk, and I just listen."  
"You can hear the angels?"

Anna nodded at Sam.

"Sometimes they talk, and I just hear them, in my head."

Dean and Melinda exchanged a glance, and Melinda spoke.

"Like … right now?"   
"Not right this second. But a lot. And I can't shut them out, because there are just so many of them. They talk all the time, and I … I just listen."

Melinda and Peyton nodded, and Dean shook his head.

"So they lock you up with a case of the crazies, but really all you were doing is tuning in to angel radio?"

Anna looked relieved.

"Yes. Thank you."

Dean nodded, and Peyton stepped to Anna.

"Anna, when did the voices start? Do you remember?"

Anna nodded.

"About two years ago, on September 18."

Dean froze, and Melinda gasped. He couldn't block that wave of shock and pain from her. She reached out and grabbed his shoulder. Dean let out a ragged breath.

"That's the day I busted out of hell."

Anna stared into Peyton's eyes.

"The first words I heard, clear as a bell were _"Dean Winchester is saved.'_ "

Dean shook his head, while Sam and Peyton exchanged a glance. Melinda walked closer to Anna.

"Well, no wonder the demons want her so bad. If they get her, they can get the other side's playbook. She's like 1-900-ANGEL."

Anna smiled, and Dean sighed.

"We've got to get her out of here. Some place safe."

The door behind them flew open, putting Dean and Melinda in attack mode. Melinda relaxed slightly when she noticed who it was.

"Ruby, what the hell are you—"  
"You got the girl? Good. We gotta move."

Anna let out a scream, backing away.

"Her—her face! What happened to her face?!"

Peyton went to Anna to try to calm her down. Melinda spoke under her breath, where Dean could hear her.

"She must be able to see Ruby's demon face."  
"Okay, maybe Anna's a little more heavy duty than we thought."

Ruby let out an exasperated noise.

"Come on! We've got to go now."  
"Why?"   
"Demon's coming. A real big-shot. Now, let's go."   
"That's pretty convenient, Ruby. Don't you think?"

Ruby rolled her eyes at Melinda, who kept on.

"Showing up right when we find the girl with a hotshot demon on your ass?"  
"I didn't bring him here, _you_ did."  
"Oh, of course it's not your fault."   
"He followed you from the girl's house! But it doesn't matter who brought him here, we've just got to go now."  
"Oh dear God."

They turned at the sound of Peyton's voice, saw her shaky hand point at a marble statue of the Virgin Mary, which was crying tears of blood. Ruby's voice was shaky and scared.

"It's too late. He's here."

Sam turned to Peyton and motioned to Anna.

"Take her."  
"Mel, too."  
"Hell, no!"

Melinda turned to Dean with a shocked expression on her face. He sighed.

"Mel, we don't have time for this."  
"I am not leaving you here up against some demon we don't even know."   
"Melinda, listen to me."   
"No. You need me to help you fight this."  
"No, I need you to keep Anna safe."

Melinda was breathing hard, shaking her head. Dean sighed.

"Ruby's here, Sam's here, I'm here. This demon is going down. Peyton can't protect Anna on her own. She needs the most powerful thing we've got to watch out for her, and that is you."   
"I am not leaving here without you, Dean."  
"We'll be fine!"  
"Dean-"   
"Bitch at me later. Keep Anna safe."

Dean pushed Melinda towards Peyton, who gripped her arm. Melinda shook her head, but Dean nodded. And as the door flew open again, Peyton, Melinda, and Anna disappeared.


	14. I Just Wanna Be Mad For A While

Melinda paced around the motel room, looking very much like a caged animal. Anna sat on the bed, with her head tilted, staring out the window. Peyton sat at the table, in between them, taking deep breaths to ward off Melinda's waves of pure rage and hatred, and Anna's spaced-out grogginess. For what seemed like the 800th time since they arrived, Melinda shook her head.

"I hate you so much right now."  
"I know, Mel."  
"And Dean, too. I hate him so much."  
"I know."  
"When he gets back here, I'm giving him back this ring. After I beat the hell out of him with it."  
"Good idea."  
"Something's wrong."

Melinda stopped pacing and, mirroring Peyton, turned to Anna.

"What?"

Anna shook her head.

"I don't know what it is, but the angels are all a-buzz now."

Melinda coughed, pressing a hand to her chest.

"Damn you, you son of a bitch."

Peyton sighed, trying not to worry too much about Sam. That is, until Melinda cried out, hitting her knees. Peyton and Anna were able to get her up, sit her on the bed. Peyton knelt between Melinda's knees, placing her hands there.

"Mel, calm down."   
"Peyton, he's hurt!"  
"I know. I know. But it's him, Mel. Not you. You're okay."

Melinda nodded, sniffling, drying her eyes with the tissues Anna handed her.

"I'm going to kill him. When he gets here, I'm killing him."  
"Okay, Mel. That's fine."  
"And I still hate you."

Peyton smiled as she pushed Melinda's hair behind her ear.

"That's okay, too."

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, when they heard the Impala roar up, Peyton gasped.

"Okay, block them. Mel, block him out."   
"Peyton, I—"   
"Just do it, Melinda!"  
"Okay."

She did, and Peyton closed her eyes blocking out everyone in the room. She could feel no one's emotions but her own. Anna stood back, taking a seat on the couch, curling up on the end of it, pulling her knees to her chest. And when the boys burst in the door, everyone shared a shocked gasp.

Sam had a gash on his arm that was steadily bleeding, and would require a few stitches. His face was cut and bloody, not much better than his brother's. Dean's mouth was bleeding, his lip was split, and his left arm hung unnaturally by his side. Melinda and Peyton swallowed as the boys sat on the beds. Peyton turned to Melinda, who was already shaking her head.

"Peyton, no."  
"Come on, Mel. You can do this."  
"Let's just call Chris."  
"No."

She turned back to the bed where Dean was sitting, spitting blood into the trashcan.

"I so do not want to hear your voice right now. I am so mad at you."  
"Then listen to me. If we call Chris, the demons who are sure to be watching us will notice. Hard to hide a Whitelighter orbing in."

Melinda closed her eyes when Sam was finished, shaking out her hands.

"Oh, I hate you all so much right now."

Sam kept on panting, rolling up the sleeve of his t-shirt. Peyton looked at both of the boys, blinking back the tears Sam's injuries brought to her eyes. Sam blew out a harsh breath.

"There should be a sewing kit in the bathroom. Hand it to me so I can stitch up this cut."

Peyton shot Melinda a pleading look, and Melinda blew out her breath.

"Oh, damn it! Damn you, Sam. And you too, you bastard."

Dean nodded, taking the cup of water Peyton handed him. He sloshed the water around in his mouth, then spit it into the trashcan. Melinda walked back from the bathroom and pulled up a chair beside Sam. She held out her hand and a bottle of whiskey came out of Dean's bag and settled in her hand.

"Hey!"

Dean quieted at the look Melinda gave him.

"You have no secrets, you son of a bitch. Remember that."

However, they both knew that wasn't true. Dean woke up in a cold sweat nearly every night, making it where Melinda barely slept at all. The whiskey seemed to dull the pain from the nightmares. Dean looked down, trying to ease the pain in his head and jaw, as Melinda unscrewed the top to the bottle. She poured it over the needle she got out of the sewing kit and gave Sam a healthy swig of it. Melinda took a deep breath, and Sam glanced at her.

"Mel, you don't have to—"   
"Shut up, Sam."

Peyton smiled, and took hold of Sam's hand. Melinda touched a washcloth to the gash, trying to clean it off a bit. Anna walked to Melinda with a small bowl of water and a hand towel. Melinda smiled up at her.

"Thank you, Anna."

Anna nodded, and took her spot back on the couch. Melinda threaded the needle with black thread, breathing hard. Sam took in a shaky breath.

"Um, Mel?"

She looked up at him, and he went on.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Peyton nudged Sam, as Melinda tried to clean up the blood that kept pouring from the wound. Peyton sighed, looking from Sam to Dean.

"I guess we never told you guys this."  
"No, we've always called a Whitelighter for shit like this."

Peyton smiled, trying to ignore Melinda.

"Well, there are two ways to become a Whitelighter. Either you're born one, like Wyatt, Chris, and Aunt Paige, or you get chosen to be one after you die. Uncle Leo was the latter of the two."   
"Seriously?"

Peyton nodded to Dean.

"He was a medic in World War II. Died in the war. Therefore, he kind of carried his medical training over, and taught his kids basic survival skills."   
"Like how to stitch up an arm, or pop a shoulder back in place."

Sam and Dean nodded, exchanging a glance, then looking away. Peyton noticed the tension in the air then. Melinda sighed.

"Okay, Sammy. Here we go."

He managed not to scream as the needle pierced his flesh, and Melinda managed not to throw up. Sam dropped Peyton's hand and reached for the bottle of whiskey, which she handed to him and he chugged from. Melinda kept on stitching, trying not to notice the pull of Sam's flesh, the darkness of the thread against his skin, or the blood that poured steadily from the wound and the new pricks Melinda was causing. Dean stood up and walked to the bathroom, spitting in the sink and wetting a towel, holding it to the cut on his lip. Melinda let out a sigh as she grabbed the tiny scissors from the sewing kit, and snipped off the extra thread. Sam let out a ragged breath, and Melinda took the whiskey from him.

"This'll sting."

Sam nodded, and Melinda poured some of the amber-colored liquid over the gash, and Sam groaned through clenched teeth. Melinda cleaned up Sam's arm, washing it with the water and towels, before covering it with gauze. Melinda stood up, sighing as Sam stood, walking to the bathroom to check out Melinda's handiwork. She looked at Dean, who walked over, bending down for her.

"I am so mad at you right now."   
"I know, babe."

She blinked back her tears, laying one hand behind his shoulder, and the other at the top of his arm. Dean reached out and Peyton handed him the bottle, and he took a long drink. He handed the bottle back, and Melinda sighed.

"Ready?"

Dean nodded.

"On three. One…"

Melinda put all her strength into it and popped Dean's shoulder back in place. He bent almost to the floor, then walked away from her.

"Son of a bitch!"

Melinda looked down at her shaking hands.

"Hurts less if you don't see it coming."

Peyton stood up and laid a hand on Melinda's shoulder, but she shook her head, shaking Peyton off.

"Mel, calm down."

Melinda just shook her head, and Dean looked up from the bathroom, where he was holding an ice pack, and he wasn't quite sure where it had come from, against his aching shoulder. He dropped it and walked back to the bed.

"Mel, sit."

She shook her head, but Dean realized that was because her whole body was trembling.

"Baby, it's okay. We're fine. You fixed us up."

The look she gave him, while the tears welled up in her eyes, absolutely shattered his heart.

"Melinda—"  
"I hate you right now. Why didn't you let me stay? I could have helped you, instead of having to put your fucking arm back in socket."  
"Mel, Anna was more important than—"   
"Nothing is more important than you, you arrogant asshole!"

Dean stopped at that, and Peyton let out a breath. Sam came up and stood behind her.

"Peyt, what is it?"  
"She's snapping. I can't stop it, there's nothing we can do. It's going to be kind of ugly for a minute."

They turned their attention back to the show, forgetting about Anna, who was positively engrossed in the saga of Melinda and Dean. Dean sighed, running his right hand through his hair. His left arm ached like a mother.

"I know you're mad, Mel. But—"  
"Mad? No, Winchester. I'm not mad. I am pissed the hell off. I am furious. I can barely look at you, because all I see is red from the intense rage I am feeling at you! I don't know how many times I'm going to have to tell you. I'm not this fragile little bird that you need to lock away. I can fight, and I am damn good at it. You should know, because I save your ass on a weekly freakin' basis."

Sam and Peyton nodded at that. Melinda was up beside Dean now, pressing a finger into his chest.

"And, for the umpteenth time, we are bonded. That means, what happens to you, happens to me. So it doesn't matter that you send me away. When you get hurt, I do too! My arm hurts in a way I have never felt before, and it's your fault. Not to mention that I've been running on fumes for days, and I haven't slept since the trip to San Antonio."

Melinda sat on the bed with a start, covering her face with her hands as she burst into tears. Dean sat beside her, until she stopped sobbing enough to speak.

"I'm just so tired! I want to sleep so bad, but I can't, because I'm worried and I'm scared, and you keep having nightmares that you won't talk to me about, so I don't sleep because I want to watch you and make sure you're okay, and I just … I can't do this anymore! I'm going to lose my mind."

Dean took her in his arms—well, his arm—and sighed. Peyton let out a long breath as Dean maneuvered them back, laying down on the pillows. Melinda sobbed into his chest for maybe thirty more seconds, then she was out. And Dean, feeling lower than dirt, let the darkness take him in, too. Peyton sighed and turned to Sam.

"That's been brewing for quite some time. It was one of her more spectacular ones, too."  
"She does this often?"

Peyton smiled down at Anna.

"No. But she's trying to take the weight of the world on her shoulders. That, she does often. She hasn't slept in a while, because she's worried about Dean, who's worried about her, and they're both worried about the seals and the Apocalypse, and … Everything just piles up."

Anna nodded, and Peyton glanced over at Sam, who had stretched out on their bed and was now asleep. Peyton let out a sigh of relief, and sat beside Anna on the couch.

"Good. We'll let them rest for a while. In the meantime, let's talk about you."


	15. Dream A Little Dream of Me

_Sam, once he started to wake up, woke with a start. He looked around the room until he saw her, leaning up against the table, arms crossed over her chest. He sighed._

_"Great. You're still here."_   
_"Yes, short bus. Someone had to watch out for your sorry ass."_

_He shook his head with a smile._

_"No one asked you to do that, Ruby."_   
_"I know."_

_Sam looked away, sitting up in the bed. Ruby walked closer to him, took a seat on the edge._

_"You almost had it that time."_   
_"Almost doesn't count, Ruby."_

_She shrugged her shoulders._

_"You know what we could try."_   
_"I said no, Ruby. How many times do I have to tell you?"_

_She smiled, leaning in closer to him._

_"Just say the word, Sam."_   
_"Hold your breath."_

_They were both smiling, until Sam leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. Ruby sighed, shrugging her jacket off, pushing Sam back on the bed as she climbed on top of him._

* * *

 

Sam's eyes popped open, as he searched around the hotel room. Dean and Melinda were wrapped up together, both asleep. Anna was sleeping on the couch, with Peyton on the opposite side from her, flipping through a magazine. Sam sat up, and Peyton looked over at him with a smile.

"You okay?"   
"Sore as all-get-out, but yeah."

Peyton motioned with her head, to where a bottle of aspirin and water bottles sat. Sam smiled at her and stood up, groaning, and poured himself a few of the pills, downing them and half the bottle of water. Peyton set her magazine down.

"So… What happened back there?"

Sam froze, looking down at his hands.

* * *

 

As the door swung open, the girls disappeared, leaving only Sam, Dean, and Ruby in the room. Ruby went to Sam and laid a hand on his chest.

"You've got to stop him, Sam. Pull him out as soon as he comes in."  
"Sam, what is she talking about?"  
"He can explain later, Dean. Sam, I mean it."

A man came walking into the room, a smile on his face. Sam held up a hand and the man's eyes went white, and he raised a hand to his throat. Dean's eyes were wide as the man coughed, and his eyes went back to normal.

"Sam, Sam, Sam."

The man shook his head, the smile growing on his face.

"You don't have the juice to take me on."

Dean could only stare, open-mouthed as the demon sent Sam flying down the stairs with a flick of his wrist. The man looked to Ruby, whose eyes flashed over black.

"Ruby. I'll deal with you later."

She yelped as she went flying backwards, hitting the wall. The man came up to Dean, who swiveled Ruby's knife before the man knocked it out of his hand.

"I'm disappointed, Dean. We were so close. But then again, I am wearing a pediatrician here."  
"Who the hell are you?"   
"Oh, now my feelings are hurt."

The man tossed Dean to the ground, then picked him up by his shirt, laying a few punches to his face. The man beat and beat on Dean, until he finally picked his face up.

"Don't you remember, Dean? Remember how close we were … in hell?"

Dean looked up, and his face hardened.

"Alistair."

The man smiled, laying another punch to Dean's ribs, until Sam came up behind him, stabbing him in the shoulder. Alistair turned around.

"You'll have to try harder than that, son."

Alistair bent to pull the knife from his flesh as Ruby joined the boys. They all glanced back, and without a word, went running, jumping through the stained glass window, shattering it as they fell to the ground.

* * *

 

"Sam? Sammy?"

Sam shook his head as the memory faded, and he turned back to Peyton. He put a smile on his face.

"Yeah. Yeah, everything's fine."

Peyton nodded, and smiled.

"That's not what I asked you. I asked what happened back there."

Sam smiled.

"Demon showed up, we fought. Jumped through a window. You know, the usual."   
"Must be Thursday, huh?"

Sam and Peyton shared a smile before he walked into the bathroom. When he shut the door, the smile fell from Peyton's face. He was hiding something. And she had a pretty good idea that whatever it was, it wasn't good at all.

* * *

 

_Dean wasn't entirely sure how he got in the car. Or where he was. He looked out the windshield, seeing a lake stretching out in front of him. He looked to his left, and there was a swing. And on the swing was his heart._

_He climbed out of the Impala, shutting the door behind him, and walked to the swing._

_"We couldn't do this in person?"_   
_"With the entire Scooby gang in the room? Nah."_

_He took a seat by Melinda, who kept staring out over the lake. She was swinging slowly, and he quickly picked up the rhythm. He took over, and she pulled her feet up underneath her. She let out a long sigh._

_"We gave Anna quite a show."_

_Dean smiled, and nodded his head._

_"That we did."_   
_"I'm still mad at you."_

_He sighed, running a hand through his hair._

_"Mel…"_   
_"Just … I want to know why. Why me? Sam could have done just as well protecting her. You could have."_   
_"Mel, your powers are—"_   
_"The best offensive weapon we have. Yes, I know. So you keep saying. If that's so, Dean, then why don't you let me use them? I'm not a babysitter."_

_He shook his head._

_"I never said you were."_   
_"No, but you continuously make me be one. I'm a fighter, Dean. I was made for this. I've trained my entire life to fight evil things and save people. I didn't just start when we found each other. I've been doing it since before I was born."_

_Dean looked down at his hands, still swinging them. He loved the way she said it, that they had "found each other." Not when they met, or when they got together. When they found each other. Dean sighed as he brought his gaze up, looking out over the lake._

_"Mel, you remember that shapeshifter in Atlanta?"_

_She nodded, then stopped, slowing letting out her breath as she realized._

_"Dean…"_   
_"You took a bullet for me, Mel."_

_She reached up and touched her side, barely registering the action. The shifter, who had taken on Sam's form, had pointed a gun at Dean, and Melinda had rushed in at the last second, pushing Dean out of the way. The shifter became a victim of her exploding power, and Melinda had fallen into Dean's arms. He called frantically for Chris, who arrived just as Melinda took in a final shaky breath. Chris healed her, and she and Dean were both physically fine, but emotionally, Dean was scarred. He shook his head._

_"Mel, I almost lost you once, when that asshole James had you. Then you practically die in my arms, because of a bullet meant for me."_   
_"But I'm okay, Dean."_   
_"Mel, I … I can't ... If there is ever a chance where I can get you out, get you away and safe somewhere, I'm going to take it. Damn the consequences. You can be pissed at me all you want. At least you'll be alive to do it."_

_She sighed, feeling her heart soften._

_"You know that I feel the same way about you, right?"_   
_"Mel, I—"_   
_"I know, you're a big boy and can take care of yourself."_

_Dean smiled, and she went on._

_"I lost you once, Dean. And that … That was the worst moment of my life. I couldn't breathe. I literally sat there, crying on your chest, and it was so still… I was trying to think of a way that I could die, too. Then I decided that there was no way the grief wouldn't kill me."_

_He reached out and took her hand, and she brushed away the tear that had fallen down her cheek._

_"I can remember the moment I fell for Castiel. The moment I first saw him, the way he looked down at you. He removed my hands from you, and with one touch, you were healed. He disappeared as fast as he appeared, and in that split-second, I knew I owed him my life. Because he had saved you, and saving you had saved me."_

_Melinda moved over, curling up beside Dean and resting her head on his shoulder._

_"We've got to stop this crap, Dean. I can't stop you."_   
_"And I can't stop you. And I've got to stop holding you back, no matter how badly I want to."_

_Melinda smiled, pressing a kiss to his neck. He gripped her shoulder._

_"We'll be okay, Mel. I promise, we will."_   
_"I love you, Winchester."_   
_"I love you, Halliwell."_

* * *

 

Melinda blinked slowly, waking up. Dean yawned from above her head, and she felt him stretch, then let out a curse as the pain radiated through his left arm. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and saw Peyton's smiling face.

"You okay?"

Melinda nodded, and Dean sat up behind her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Sam walked out of the bathroom, running a towel over his still-damp hair.

And they all stopped when Anna whimpered in her sleep.

Melinda exchanged a glance with Peyton, and they walked over to the couch, kneeling down.

"Anna, sweetie. Wake up."  
"No."   
"Anna, it's all right. You're safe."  
_"No."_

Anna kept jerking in her sleep, repeating "No" again and again. Dean was looking out the window, and he cursed under his breath. Sam dropped the towel.

"What is it, Dean?"  
"Place is crawling with demons."

Peyton sighed.

"Hang on."

She closed her eyes, and disappeared. Melinda knelt by Anna, running a hand over her hair, calming the sleeping girl down. Peyton reappeared.

"Okay, Ruby's in a cabin not far from here. I'll take Anna there, and I'll be back for you guys and our things."

Peyton and Anna disappeared, while Sam, Dean, and Melinda packed up. They held the bags when Peyton reappeared, and as the door flew open, demons coming in, Peyton took them away.


	16. Angel

In a cabin somewhere in the woods of Ohio, Melinda held an ice pack to Dean's shoulder, which was still aching like a mother. Anna was sitting on the couch, in Peyton's arms, crying over the news of the death of her parents. Sam was sitting by Ruby, pressing a cloth to the cut on her forehead. Melinda still wasn't sure about that. Ruby, as a demon, could usually just shake off minor injuries. A cut on her forehead should be no trouble for her at all. Dean groaned as he tried to move his arm.

"Hey, Macho Man. Relax. Oh, I could call Chris now, if you want."

Dean shook his head.

"I'm just a little sore. Almost good to go."

Melinda nodded, and Dean smiled.

"Hey."

He picked her chin up, his green eyes staring deep into her blue ones. Melinda smiled, and he leaned down to kiss her smiling mouth. Melinda looked over her shoulder at Sam and Ruby and turned back to Dean. She motioned with her head.

"What do you make of that?"

Dean looked back, letting out a sigh.

"I don't know."  
"Dean, what is it?"

He shook his head slowly, opening his mind to let Melinda see what had happened when they escaped from the church. Her blue eyes went wide when she saw Ruby and Sam together, heard the words Ruby said to him.

_"You've got to stop him, Sam. Pull him out as soon as he comes in."_

Melinda looked at Dean, and he nodded. She moved closer to him, speaking in a voice only he could hear.

"Dean, what the hell was she talking about?"

He shrugged his shoulders, and winced at the lance of pain that shot through his left one. Melinda glanced back at them.

"What does that mean?"

Dean tapped her leg, and she turned back to face him. He let her see the demon walk inside, and Sam's actions. Melinda's face turned to one of pure shock, and Dean cut off the memory, before she could see—No. Neither one of them needed that.

"Dean. Was he … Sam was … What was he doing?"

Dean shook his head.

"I don't know, Mel. And I'm pretty sure I don't want to know."  
"But it—"

Melinda's sentence was cut off when Anna let out a gasping sob. Peyton tried to calm her down, but Anna shook her head. She looked up towards the ceiling, a terrified look on her face.

"They're coming!"

Melinda looked to Dean, and they sprang into action. Peyton took Anna to a back room, pushing her inside. Ruby walked over to the boys, who were handing off guns. She knelt to dig in the bag, then looked up.

"Where's the knife?"

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance, and Melinda didn't hide her smile. Dean chuckled.

"Uh, about that…"   
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

Dean just shook his head, and Ruby sighed, taking a spot near Sam. Peyton stayed by the door to where Anna was, ready to be a last-ditch savior, if she could. Melinda and Dean stepped forward, as the door flew open. Dean cocked his gun, then let out a sigh of relief when Castiel walked in. Uriel followed right behind him, and Melinda let out an exasperated sigh at that. Ruby's eyes blacked out, and she stared at the ground. Castiel walked up to Dean.

"Cas, you just made it to the party. We've been dealing with demons on our ass all day."  
"I can see that."

Ruby looked down, but her eyes went back to normal. Peyton let out a gentle cough, and Melinda flicked her eyes that way. Something was up. Dean kept talking to Castiel.

"Cas, you're here to help us, right?"

A smile crossed Uriel's face, and Melinda didn't need Peyton to feel Castiel's hesitation. She spoke quietly, in disbelief.

"He's not."

Dean looked to Melinda, then back to Castiel.

"Cas, what's going on?"

Uriel stepped forward, and Castiel looked down.

"We're here for the girl."  
"To help her, right?"

Uriel smiled a cruel smile at Sam. Dean stared at Castiel, who sighed and finally locked eyes with him.

"No. She has to die."

A moment of silence and pure shock occurred. Melinda shook her head.

"What do you mean? You don't even know her."  
"It is none of your concern, witch."  
"You don't speak to me, you pompous son of a bitch."

Castiel almost smiled at that, while Dean actually did. Dean spoke this time.

"Listen, I know she's wiretapping your angel chats, bugged your phones, whatever. That's no reason to kill her."   
"Stop talking!"

Uriel walked to Dean, and Melinda slid over closer to him. Uriel smiled again.

"Get out of my way."   
"Why don't you go ahead and make me?"   
"Don't tempt me, Winchester."

Sam let out an exasperated sigh.

"She's just an innocent girl!"   
"Oh, she is far from innocent."

They all looked back to Castiel, who was shaking his head. Melinda spoke, noticing how Castiel's face twisted just a bit at the sound of her voice.

"Cas, what does that mean?"

Uriel sighed, looking back to Ruby, speaking to Sam.

"It means she is no better than this abomination you've been screwing."

Peyton, Dean, Melinda, and even Sam shared a look of pure shock. Castiel sighed.

"Just hand Anna over to us."   
"So you can just kill her?"   
"Don't worry, witch. I'll kill her gentle."

Dean held out his arm, holding Melinda back. Uriel's smile sent a chill down Melinda's spine. Dean shook his head.

"You're some heartless sons of bitches, you know that?"

Castiel's smile was cynical, but sad.

"As a matter of fact, we are."   
"Time's up. Give us the girl."

Dean looked to Melinda, Sam, then to Peyton, each of them giving him an almost imperceptible shake of their heads. Melinda smiled, and turned to Uriel.

"Sorry, you'll have to find someone else. Maybe try getting your head out of your ass first."

Uriel smiled.

"Who's going to stop us? You three? Or this demon whore?"

Uriel grabbed Ruby's arm, sending her flying into a window. She hit it, cracking it, then slid down to the floor, moaning in pain. Uriel walked over to her and picked her up by her jacket, slamming her into the wall. He raised a hand, and Ruby frantically tried to get away, until Uriel dropped her, turning around to block the blow Dean was trying to cause. Dean's gun went flying, and Uriel laughed as Dean fell to his knees.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this."  
"Don't you dare touch him."

Uriel turned to Melinda, letting out a laugh.

"You think you can stop me, witch?"  
"You can bet your balls I'm damn sure going to try."  
"He doesn't have any, Mel. Don't tease him like that."

Uriel dropped Dean hard, walking over and back-handing Melinda. She fell to the ground with a yelp, and Castiel let out a sigh. Uriel stepped over to Melinda, holding Dean back, and she threw up her hands. Uriel exploded, but only for a few seconds. Castiel walked by Sam.

"Cas, wait. Stop. Don't do this."

Castiel laid two fingers to Sam's forehead, and he crumpled to the floor. Peyton stood on guard by the door, shaking her head at Castiel.

"She hasn't done anything to deserve this, Castiel."  
"But she has, Peyton. And she must be punished."  
"I won't let you."   
"You don't have a choice."

As Uriel appeared before Dean and Melinda, Castiel laid two fingers to Peyton's forehead, and she fell unconscious, just like Sam had. Uriel shook his head.

"Now you're going to pay."

Uriel picked Dean up by his jacket as Castiel laid a hand to the door. And in flashes of bright light, with pain-filled screams, Castiel and Uriel were forced out of the cabin. Dean rolled over from where he'd been, lying on top of Melinda, blocking her from the light blast.

"What the hell just happened?"

Melinda sat up with a groan, and Dean laid a hand to her cheek, which was already swelling and showing signs of a bruise. She smiled at him, and he helped her stand. Dean walked over and helped Ruby up, as Sam and Peyton groaned, holding hands to their heads. Peyton pushed to her feet, then opened the door, gasping when she saw Anna.

"Anna, oh my god!"

They hurried into the room, and Dean pulled the bandana out of his pocket, handing it to Melinda. She walked over to Anna, who had a cut on her arm that was pouring blood. It pooled on the table beside her, covered her other hand, and on the mirror, Anna had written some kind of symbols in her blood.

"Are—are they gone?"

Anna's voice was weak, and her face was pale. Melinda wrapped the bandana around her arm, tying it off to stop the bleeding.

"Yes. Did you kill them?"

Anna shook her head, as everyone gathered to study the symbol she'd drawn in the mirror.

"I sent them away. Far, far away."

Melinda looked from Anna's arm to the mirror.

"You want to tell me how?"  
"I don't know."

Anna was shaking her head, looking at the mirror.

"That just popped in my head. I don't know how I did it. I just did."

Melinda looked to Dean, sharing a wide-eyed, worried glance.

 

What the hell had they gotten themselves into?


	17. Who I Am

Melinda walked out of the room, drying her hands on a towel. She'd finally been able to get the bleeding to stop, and she'd finally gotten all of Anna's blood off her hands. She sighed, and Sam and Dean walked over to her.

"She's sleeping. Peyton's right beside her, and Ruby's keeping watch."

The boys nodded, and Melinda tossed the towel to the ground.

"So what do you think about this?"

Sam shook his head.

"I think Anna just gets more interesting by the second."

Melinda and Dean nodded their heads in agreement. Dean shook his head as he crossed his arms.

"What did they mean by she's not innocent?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, but they want her. Bad. And not just because of the angel radio thing."

Melinda crossed her arms, letting out a breath.

"That blood spell that she did… That's some serious crap, guys. That's way over even my paygrade."

Dean nodded, and turned to Sam.

"See what you can find out. Mel, come with me."  
"What are you going to do?"

Dean turned back to Sam as Melinda took his hand.

"Anna may have sent the angels to the outfield, but sooner or later, they'll be back. We need to get her, and us, somewhere safe now."

* * *

 

Which was how, a day later, they were all together at Bobby's house, while Bobby was on a very rare vacation. Peyton had teleported herself, Anna, and Melinda to the house, while the boys and Ruby enjoyed a nearly silent car ride. Once they were all gathered together, Dean took them down to the special panic room Bobby had created. Paranoia did have it's fine points.

Anna made herself comfortable on the small bed in the room. Melinda walked around, the room, double checking it. Sam and Peyton were upstairs, gathering as much information as they could, and Ruby was pouting just outside of the panic room. Dean tapped the wall, and Anna turned to look at him.

"Iron walls, drenched in salt. Demons can't even touch the joint."  
"Which I find racist, by the way."

Dean turned to Ruby with a smile.

"Write your congressman."

Melinda stepped closer, pointing up and around the walls and the floor.

"You've got Devil's Traps on the ceiling and the floor, one just outside the door, and ancient protection symbols all around. You are completely safe here, Anna."

Ruby whistled from the doorway, and tossed two things to Dean. He looked down, then back to Ruby.

"Hex bags?"  
"Extra crunchy. They'll hide us from angels, demons, all-comers."

Dean nodded, while Melinda kept her thoughts to herself. Dean handed one of the bags to Anna, and she promised not to lose it. He stepped over to Melinda, ran his fingers over the bruise on her cheekbone. She smiled at him, then turned to Anna.

"So, Anna. What's playing on angel radio? Anything we can use?"

Anna shook her head.

"It's quiet. Dead silence."

Melinda and Dean shared a nod, and Melinda slipped her hands in her pockets.

"Oh, good. That's not troubling at all."

Anna looked from the bag in her hands up to Dean.

"We're in trouble, aren't we? You guys are scared?"

Dean glanced to Melinda, and they both turned to look at Ruby. Their faces stayed emotionless, until Dean turned to Anna with a smile.

"Nah."

He heard Sam call from upstairs, and he reached for Melinda's hand, turning back to Anna.

"Stay here, okay?"

Anna nodded to them, and they left the panic room. Just outside the door, Dean whispered to Ruby.

"Keep an eye on her."

Ruby nodded, and Dean went on up the stairs. The look Melinda gave Ruby as she was walking away made the demon stop, and her eyes went black, just for a second. Melinda shook it off, as they made their way up to Sam and Peyton. Melinda sighed.

"So what do we know?"

Peyton held up a book.

"The symbol Anna drew on the mirror was an Enochian banishing sigil."

She smiled at the empty stares around her, and went on.

"And I can tell by your faces that you're all familiar. Enochian is, and has been historically, the 'language' of the angels, if you will. What Anna drew was an ancient sigil, used to banish any and all angels nearby. It must be drawn in blood, and it temporarily clears the place of wings. Question is, how the hell did Anna know what it was and how to create it?"

Melinda and Dean shook their heads, and Sam stepped up.

"I've been researching Anna. Her parents were a church deacon and a homemaker."  
"Not much to go on there."

Sam turned to Dean.

"That's what I thought, too. Then, I found this."

Sam handed a folder over to Melinda, and Dean read it over her shoulder. After scanning the page, Melinda looked up to Sam.

"Is this…?"

Sam nodded.

"This little snap is not Anna's first psychotic episode. When she was two, she would flip her shit every time her dad got close. She kept repeating that he wasn't her real daddy, and that her real daddy was mad. Very, like wanted-to-kill-her mad."

Dean whistled low.

"That's pretty heavy for a two-year-old."

Sam nodded.

"She saw a kid's shrink, and grew up normal. At least, until a few weeks ago."

Melinda shook her head as she handed the file to Dean.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, guys. Anna's hiding something. But what?"  
"Why don't you just ask me to my face?"

They all turned to see Anna in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Ruby came strolling up behind her and leaned against the doorframe. Melinda sighed.

"Nice watch job, Ruby."  
"I'm watching her!"

Melinda rolled her eyes, as Sam stepped forward.

"Anna, the angels said you were guilty of something. Why would they say that?"

The redhead stared at Sam, tears filling her eyes.

"You tell me. Tell me why my life has been leveled! Why my parents are dead! I don't know what the angels are talking about. I swear I don't. But I would give anything to know."

Peyton stepped forward then, and took Anna's hands.

"Then let's find out."

* * *

 

An hour later, they were in the panic room with the best psychic any of them knew, Peyton's mother, Phoebe. If anyone could help Anna discover what she needed to know, it would be Phoebe. Dean and Melinda hovered in one corner, and Peyton and Sam were across the room. All were on edge, just in case. Ruby stood just outside the room, pacing back and forth, watching for a threat. Anna was laying on the bed, eyes closed, and Phoebe was holding her hand.

"Okay, Anna. Nice and relaxed."

Phoebe ran a hand over Anna's face, telling her about the hypnosis she was trying to put her under. Melinda tried to listen, but her mind was racing. Dean was so focused on Phoebe and Anna he wasn't even trying to listen to her thoughts. Melinda glanced over, seeing Peyton watching her mother. But Sam … Sam was looking out the door, watching Ruby. And every now and then, Ruby would glance back at him. Melinda had no idea what to think of the two of them.

Melinda had watched Ruby toss hex bags to Dean. And Dean didn't even bat an eye. Melinda had, even though she'd hidden it. Only witches knew how to make hex bags. Especially the ones that Ruby had made. And yes, Melinda had peeked. She knew what was in the bag, and it was some heavy duty witchcraft. The problem she was having was, why hadn't anyone told her that Ruby was, or had been, a witch? And not just any witch, but a black magic practitioner? She needed to find out more about the beautiful girl with eyes that tended to blacken out. Eyes that were currently locked on her cousin's boyfriend. Ruby glanced to Melinda, then quickly looked away.

"Anna, calm down."  
"No. No, don't make me."  
"Anna, honey, you're all right."  
"No."  
"You're safe, Anna. We just need one little peek."

Melinda looked to Phoebe just in time to see Anna bow up, letting out a scream, and Melinda gasped as a premonition took over her senses. The door slammed shut, locking Ruby out, and Sam ran to it, banging on it, unable to open it up. The light bulbs in the room flashed and blew out, sending sparks raining down. Melinda, still caught in her premonition, didn't see Dean go for Anna. He tried to touch her, ignoring Phoebe's plea to step back, and Anna hit him, sending him flying across the room. Phoebe woke Anna back up, and Melinda fell to the ground as the premonition ended. Dean rushed over to her, cradling her in his arms, as both Melinda and Anna were breathing hard. Phoebe kept running a hand over Anna's face.

"Anna, are you all right?"

Anna very calmly sat up, smiling at Phoebe.

"Thank you, Phoebe. That helped a lot. I remember now."  
"Remember what?"

Anna looked to Sam.

"Who I am."

The room was silent for a moment, until Peyton spoke.

"I'll bite. Who are you?"

Melinda was shaking in Dean's arms, her mind racing from the things she had seen in the premonition. Melinda spoke, her voice broken and shaky.

"She … She's an angel."


	18. Somebody That I Used To Know

Melinda was lying on the couch in Bobby's library, eyes closed, with a cool rag on her forehead. Dean was sitting close by her, holding her hand, feeling the headache she had. Anna was slowly walking around the room, letting her recently recovered memories sink in. Sam was sitting in Bobby's chair, on his laptop, and Ruby was warily eyeing every move Anna made. Peyton appeared in the room, having taken Phoebe back home. Peyton laid a hand to her forehead until she was able to block Melinda out, then she let out a breath.

"Dean, Mel could use some—"

Peyton stopped as Anna handed her a glass of water.

"Water. Thank you, Anna."

Anna smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. She glanced around, seeing the looks from everyone, and she smiled.

"Don't worry. I'm not like the other angels."  
"Somehow, I don't find that very reassuring."

Anna looked back at Ruby, who ducked her head and moved just a bit further away from her. Anna sighed, and stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

"So… Castiel and Uriel? They're the ones that came for me?"

They nodded, and Anna did the same. Peyton spoke up, from her spot near Sam.

"How do you know them?"

A soft smile crossed Anna's face.

"We were … kind of in the same foxhole, so to speak."   
"So they're like your bosses?"

Anna turned to Dean, her smile growing.

"Try the other way around."  
"Nice."

Anna's smile faded as she looked down.

"I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head."  
"Why?"

Anna turned to Sam.

"I disobeyed. Which, for us, is just about the worst thing you could ever do."

Sam, Peyton, and Dean shared a look. Peyton cleared her throat.

"What … What did you do?"

Anna looked up, shrugged her shoulders.

"I fell."

Dean shook his head.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Melinda's voice was shaky and hoarse.

"She fell to Earth. Became human."

Dean turned to Melinda, and she let out a sigh as he ran his fingers over her face. The premonition had been a hard one to see, and the things she had seen… Melinda's head was aching, but so was her heart. Sam let out a breath.

"Hang on a second. I don't understand. Angels can just … become human?"

Anna crossed her arms over her chest.

"Kinda hurts. Like cutting your kidney out with a dull butter knife kind of hurt. I ripped out my grace."

The looks she received made Anna smile.

"It's a kind of special energy that angels have. I hacked mine out, and I fell."  
"So, what, you just forgot that you were God's little Power Ranger?"

Anna nodded at Dean.

"The older I grew, the longer I was human, yeah. I forgot."  
"I don't think you all appreciate just how utterly screwed we are!"

Melinda let out a little groan at Ruby's outburst. The demon began pacing the kitchen as Anna let out a sigh.

"She's right, you know. Heaven wants me dead—"  
"And hell just wants her. Can you imagine? A flesh-and-blood angel that you can torture, one that bleeds."

Dean's face changed, and Peyton turned to look at him. Ruby went on.

"Sister, you are the Stanley Cup. And sooner or later, heaven or hell… Someone's going to find you."

Peyton let out a shaky breath, closing her eyes, forcing everything she had on blocking out Dean. The anger, the hatred, the brokenness, the emptiness, the guilt. Oh God, the guilt. Dean was running the gamut of emotions right then, and it took everything Peyton had to shut him out. Thankfully, Melinda was too focused on the dull throb in her head, and Anna's angelic life that she had witnessed through her premonition to see or feel Dean. Anna nodded her head, and turned to look at them.

"Ruby is right. And that's why I'm going to get it back. I've got to."   
"Get what?"

Melinda's shaky voice answered Sam's question.

"Her grace."

Dean shook his head, bringing himself back to reality.

"You're going to get your grace back? You can do that?"

Anna nodded.

"If I can find it. I kind of lost track of it when I fell. Pretty easy to do when you're headed down at about 10,000 miles per hour."  
"Wait a second. You actually, literally fell from heaven?"

Anna nodded at Sam, and he smiled.

"Like the way that a human eye can see? Like, maybe a comet or a meteor or something?"

* * *

 

An hour later, Melinda had her head in Dean's lap, reading along as he flipped through old newspapers. Peyton and Sam had spread books out over Bobby's desk, and Peyton was currently scrolling through Sam's laptop.

"Hey, yahtzee!"

All eyes turned to Peyton, who looked up and smiled.

"In March of 1985, a meteor disappeared in the night sky over northwestern Ohio. Nine months later, Anna was born in that same section of Ohio."

Melinda tapped Dean's shoulder, pointing to something in the paper he was reading.

"March of '85, a meteor was sighted over Kentucky. That's got to be her grace."

Melinda sighed, then looked up at Dean with a smile.

"Road trip?"

He leaned down and kissed her.

"Load 'em up, let's move 'em out."

They went to pack up their stuff, and Peyton followed behind. Anna was outside, leaning against the hood of some car. Sam closed his laptop, started shuffling the books around when Ruby walked in. He looked up at her.

"Hey, we think we found the grace."  
"Kentucky. I heard."

He nodded, and Ruby sighed.

"Sam, I'm sorry."  
"For what?"   
"Bringing you this mess. If I had known…"

Sam sighed, as Ruby crossed her arms.

"We'll muddle through, Ruby."

She shook her head.

"Not this time, Sam. You do not want to get between these two armies. If one side doesn't get us, the other one will."  
"What do you suggest we do? Huh? Dump Anna and run?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow at him, and Sam smiled.

"We can't do that."  
"We could, Sam."  
"Look, I know the angels freak you out, but—"   
"Oh, forget them. It's not the angels I'm scared of! It's Alistair."

Sam stopped, then turned to face her.

"Alistair?"  
"You met him in the church. He's … kind of the Grand Inquisitor downstairs. Picasso with a razor."

Ruby turned around and shuddered, and Sam moved to run his hand up and down her arm. She let him, for a second, then turned around, taking his hands.

"You need to stop him. Pull him out, toss his ass back in the pit."  
"Ruby."   
"You could do it, Sam. If you weren't so damn out of shape."   
"Ruby—"   
"You're getting flabby, Sam. I told you."   
"Yeah? So how do I tone up?"

Ruby stepped closer to him.

"You know how."

He shook his head.

"I'm not doing that anymore."

Ruby stood up on her tiptoes, gently pressed her lips to Sam's. He tried to fight it, he wanted to, but… There was just something about Ruby that he couldn't fight. She pulled back, running a hand through his hair.

"Then you better pray that Anna gets her groove back, Sam. Or else … We're all dead."

She gave him one more kiss, and turned her back on him, walking away. He watched her go, then sighed, running his hands through his hair.

And neither of them noticed the wide blue eyes that watched them from the kitchen.


	19. Run

Anna was staring up at the sky when Dean closed the trunk of the Impala. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket, pulling it tighter around him. It's bitterly cold in November in South Dakota. He walked over and watched as Anna exhaled, her breath hanging in the cold night air. She smiled, then turned to see Dean.

"All ready?"

He nodded, then came around to sit beside her.

"Anna, can I ask you something?"

She turned to him, nodded. Dean looked at the ground, then to her eyes.

"What do they want with me? Why did they save me?"

Anna smiled a sad little smile and shook her head. "I'm sorry. The angels aren't talking about it, and it happened after I fell."

Dean nodded, then shook his head.

"That's another question. Why would you fall? Why would you want to be one of us?"  
"You don't mean that."   
"I don't? A bunch of miserable bastards, eating, crapping, confused, afraid?"

Anna shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. There's loyalty. Forgiveness. Love."   
"Pain, suffering."   
"Chocolate cake."   
"Guilt."   
"Sex."

Dean stopped, pursed his lips.

"Yeah, you got me there."

Anna smiled.

"I mean it, Dean. All the emotions, even the bad ones. _That's_ why I fell. And why I would give anything not to have to go back."

Tears pooled in her dark eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. Dean shrugged his shoulders.

"If you ask me, feelings are overrated."   
"Beats being an angel."

He looked over at her.

"Now how is that possible? You guys are powerful, and perfect. You don't doubt yourselves, or God, or anything at all."  
"Yeah. Perfect. Like a marble statue."

Anna turned to face him.

"Cold, obedient, with no choice of our own. Brave little soldiers."

Anna crossed her arms over her chest.

"Dean, I was stationed on Earth for 2,000 years. I was silent, invisible. Constantly out on the road and so sick for home. Waiting on orders from a Father I've never even seen, but have to trust that He's there."

Dean sighed, as Anna wiped a tear away from her cheek. Melinda stepped out onto the porch, and Dean turned to look at her. Anna smiled.

"You're crazy about her."

Dean smiled at the ground, then nodded to Anna.

"Yeah, I am. Come on. She thinks she's got it."

* * *

 

Inside the warm house, Melinda turned the laptop around.

"I've been searching Kentucky, and in a little town called Union, there have reports of what locals call 'a miracle.' In 1985, there was this empty field just outside the town. Six months later, there was a full grown oak, one that looks at least a century old."

Peyton looked to Anna, who nodded.

"That has to be it. The grace could have easily done something like that when it hit."

Dean nodded slowly.

"So Grace Ground Zero is not destruction, it's—"   
"Pure creation."

* * *

 

Melinda, Dean, and Anna drove all night and most of the next day to get to the tree. The car ride was relatively quiet, with Melinda sleeping a lot of the way while Dean drove. When she was awake, she didn't say much, and she kept her thoughts to herself. Even so, Dean knew something was wrong. Peyton and Sam had stayed behind, and as they were researching, Peyton stopped.

"Sam?"  
"Yeah?"

He looked up from the books and saw her face.

"Peyton, what is it?"   
"We need to go."

He walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms. A few seconds later, they were in an old, abandoned barn in Kentucky. Anna was sitting by a window, with her head tilted to look out the window. Melinda was sitting on a hay bale, and Dean was standing behind her. In a corner, Ruby skulked. Peyton locked eyes with Melinda, who sighed.

"The grace was gone before we got there."  
"What?"   
"Someone took it."

Peyton shook her head.

"Who … who would do that?"

Melinda and Dean shrugged their shoulders, and Dean sighed.

"Look, we've still got the hex bags. Let's head back to the panic room."   
"What, forever?"

Ruby came walking up, and Melinda sighed, rubbing a hand to her forehead. Dean looked at Ruby.

"I'm just thinking out loud."   
"Oh, you call that thinking?"   
"Guys, chill."

Sam stepped between them, and Dean and Ruby both turned away. Ruby shook her head and turned back.

"Anna's grace is gone. Do you understand that? I mean, really? She can't just level up and protect us. And we can't fight heaven and hell. One side, maybe. But not both, not at once."   
"Um, guys? Guys."

They turned to Anna, who was staring blankly ahead. Peyton stepped towards her.

"Anna, what is it?"   
"The angels are talking again."

Melinda stood to her feet.

"What are they saying?"

Anna spoke slowly, and started gently rocking back and forth.

"It's like a recording. Like it's on loop. It … It says…"

She listened for a second, then spoke.

_"Dean Winchester gives us Anna by midnight or—"_

She stopped, sitting up straight. Dean stepped forward.

"Or what?"

Anna turned to look at him, a scared look on her face. She swallowed.

_"Or we hurl him back to damnation."_

Dean's face fell, and Melinda hurried to her feet.

"No. No, they … They can't do that!"

Dean held Melinda in his arms, as she set her head on his shoulder. Tears gathered in her eyes, and Peyton's, while Ruby turned away. Sam turned to Anna.

"What kind of weapon can we use on an angel?"  
"What, to kill them?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders, ignoring the look Dean gave him. Dean sighed, still clutching Melinda to his chest.

"Let's go and call Bobby, get him back here. Maybe he can—"   
"Dean, what's he going to tell us that we don't already know?"  
"I don't know, Sam! We just … We've got to think of something."

* * *

 

Half an hour later, everyone was busy trying to find something, anything that might help them. Anna walked outside, seeing Dean near the Impala. She walked over, and he smiled at her.

"Hey. How you holding up?"

Anna smiled.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Dean smiled, looking back at the papers in front of him. Anna took a breath, and slid her hands in her back pockets.

"Dean, I wanted to thank you. For everything. You guys didn't have to help me, and—"   
"Anna, can we skip the 'Thanks for trying' speech? Participation trophies suck ass."

They shared a smile, and when Anna spoke again, her voice was quiet.

"Maybe I don't deserve to be saved."   
"Hey, don't talk like that."

She shook her head.

"I disobeyed, Dean. Lucifer disobeyed. It was wrong, and our top conviction, but I did it anyway. Maybe now I've got to pay."

Dean looked down and swallowed. His voice was quiet.

"We've all done things we've got to pay for."

The look on his face, the pain in his eyes, hurt Anna's heart. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Dean, there's something I need to tell you. Something you're not going to like."

He looked away, then met her eyes.

"What?"

Anna leaned against the car.

"About a week ago, I heard the angels talking about you … and what you did in hell."

His face froze, and Anna laid a hand on his arm.

"Dean, I know. And you have to know that it wasn't your fault. You need to forgive yourself."

Dean shook off her hand and stepped back. He shook his head, his voice gravelly and hoarse.

"Anna, I don't … I don't wanna …"

He stared at the ground and shook his head.

"I can't talk about that."   
"I know."

He met her eyes, and her face was gentle.

"But when you can, you have people that love you and want to help you. You are not alone, Dean. That's all I'm trying to say."

He nodded, and Anna turned back to the barn, in time to see Melinda step outside, running her hands through her hair. Anna smiled and patted Dean's shoulder. Anna walked back into the barn, as Melinda ran over to Dean. He caught her, holding her close to him as she shook her head, burying her face in his neck.

"Mel. Hey, hey. Baby, come on."

He pushed her back, and she covered her face with her hands. She was crying, her heart breaking, and Dean could feel it.

"Baby, we're going to find a way out of this."

Melinda shook her head, and dropped her hands. She took hold of Dean's jacket, pulling him closer to her as she stared at the amulet he wore around his neck.

"They can't do this, Dean. They can't take you away from me. I … I can't do this without you."  
"You won't have to, Mel. I promise."   
"Cas … Cas can't take you away from me, Dean."  
"Hey, look at me."

She brought her eyes up to his, and he cupped her face in his hands.

"Nothing will ever take me away from you, Mel. I swear. I love you."

Her face twisted and she let out a sob. Dean bent and pressed his mouth to hers, and her hands came over his face. They linked around his neck, running through his hair. Dean pulled back, pulling Melinda with him, opening the door to the Impala. Melinda climbed in the backseat and Dean followed her, stretching out across the seat like she was. He leaned to kiss her, gently unbuttoning her shirt as he did. She reached to slip the necklace over his head, bringing it to her lips before she dropped it in the front seat. Dean pulled his t-shirt over his head, coming back to Melinda's mouth. Her hand covered the mark on his arm, and it lost the dull burn he usually felt there. Dean undid her jeans, sliding them down her legs, before doing the same to his own. He flipped them, stretching out across the seat as Melinda covered his face with her lips. Her fingers preceded her kisses, like she was memorizing his face.

Of course, she didn't need to do that. Dean's face was forever seared in her brain, as if it were a part of her. Because he was a part of her.

He tangled his fingers in her hair, and she moaned when he hit the spot above her temple. She bent to kiss the tattoo on his chest, before bringing her mouth back to his. Dean held his hands to her hips, digging his fingers in with a groan as she straddled him. He lifted his hips and she let out a breath, staring into his eyes as he pushed into her. Tears filled her eyes, and she saw them glistening in his. She shook her head and he kissed her, slowly moving his hips as he did. Melinda groaned, letting her hand move to press against the window, then slide down through the fogged-up glass.


	20. Go Your Own Way

Ruby stood in the doorway, watching Sam as he slept. She closed her eyes and shook her head, then turned and walked out of the barn. She ignored the Impala with its fogged-up windows and walked a little ways, stopping in the middle of an old road. She pulled the hex bag out of her pocket and lit it on fire, dropping it as the blue flames began to consume the bag.

"Hello, Ruby."

She swallowed, then turned around.

"Alistair."

He glanced around.

"I have to say, I'm surprised to see you out in the open like this."

Ruby shrugged her shoulders.

"Desperate times."

Alistair smiled.

"Yes, they are."

He reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling Ruby's knife out.

"You looking for this? That gawky imbecile human you're so fond of gave it to me."

Ruby shook her head.

"Keep it. I just came here to talk."

Alistair smiled.

"About what? How a demon like you is protecting an angel? You know, Ruby, we really should revoke your membership."  
"Listen, I know I'm not exactly employee of the month, but I never wanted to get in the middle of this."

Alistair sighed.

"Why are you here, Ruby?"

She smiled.

"To make a deal. I'll give you the angel."

Alistair stopped.

"And in return?"

Ruby blinked.

"I walk away. Me and the Winchester boys. Both of them. This angel business is none of ours."

Alistair smiled.

"And what about their little witches?"

Ruby shrugged her shoulders.

"I could care less. Take them, too."

Alistair smiled, walking a little, tapping a finger to his chin.

"You know, Ruby… I'd always heard that you were a devious, cowardly little slut. You don't disappoint, my dear. It's interesting. A tad suicidal, for demons to go against the Halliwells. But still interesting."

Alistair turned around and two demons grabbed Ruby's arms. She gasped and Alistair walked forward with an evil smile, running her own knife over Ruby's pretty face.

"May I make you a counteroffer?"

* * *

 

Dean tugged his jacket on as he walked back in the barn, where a voice made him stop in his tracks.

"It's so cute when the monkeys wear clothes."

Dean looked up, saw Uriel standing in front of him, and he let out a sigh.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?"   
"It's the only way we could talk, since you're all hiding like cowards. Plus, it's a nice change of pace from your normal dreams, right?"

Dean clenched his teeth.

"Don't normally see you off the leash, Uriel. Where's your boss?"  
"Castiel? Oh, he's… You see, he has this weakness. He likes you, and your witch."

Dean shrugged.

"Time's up, boy. Give us the girl."

Dean shook his head.

"Well you see, what happened was, she got her grace back. She's a full-blown angel now."

Uriel smiled.

"Now _that_ would be a neat trick, considering …"

He reached in his shirt, pulling out a small, glowing vial on a chain around his neck.

"I've got her grace right here. Couldn't chance letting the demons get ahold of it, now could we?"

Dean sighed.

"Just give her back her angel juice."   
"She committed a serious crime."  
"What, thinking for herself?!"   
"This is our business, not yours."

Dean grit his teeth. Uriel slipped his hands in his pockets.

"Last chance. Give us the girl, or—"   
"Or what? You'll toss me back in the hole? You're bluffing."  
"Try me. This is a whole lot bigger than the plans we have for you, Dean. You can be replaced."

Dean shook his head, looking down. Uriel let out a laugh.

"You're just crazy enough to go, aren't you?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say? I don't break easy."

Uriel walked around behind Dean.

"Oh… Yes, you do. One just has to know where to apply the right pressure."

Dean tried to stay stoic, but after a few seconds, he whirled around, staring at Uriel with a horrified look on his face.

* * *

 

Anna and Sam paced back and forth across the floor of the barn. Peyton came inside, locked eyes with Sam, and shook her head. Sam sighed, as Melinda and Dean walked in. Sam jogged over to them.

"Hey, have you seen Ruby?"

They shook their heads, and he ran his hands through his hair, then went back to pacing. Anna looked over as Dean pulled a flask from his pocket, taking a long swig, then wincing. Anna gave him a soft smile.

"Little early for that, isn't it?"

Dean shrugged.

"It's five o'clock somewhere, right?"

Peyton was hugging Melinda, feeling the confusion, worry, and apologetic feelings Dean was giving off. She looked to Melinda, who shook her head. A gust of wind blew, and they all rushed over, standing together. Sam and Peyton, Melinda and Dean, with Anna behind them. Melinda reached up and took hold of Dean's face, kissing him. The barn doors flew open, and a few seconds later, Castiel and Uriel walked in. Anna stepped forward, joining the rest of the line. Castiel smiled.

"Hello, Anna. It's good to see you."

Sam stepped forward.

"How did you find us? How?"

Castiel looked over to Dean, who slowly shut his eyes. Melinda, Peyton, and Sam stared at him, while Anna sighed. Sam shook his head.

"Dean? Why?"

Dean looked to Anna, and she smiled.

"Because they gave him a choice. An ultimatum. They either kill me …"

Anna looked to Melinda.

"Or they kill you."

Melinda's eyes grew wide, as Dean pulled her to him, pressing a kiss to her temple. Anna stepped over to them, staring into Dean's sorrow-filled emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry, Anna."

She smiled at him.

"You did the best you could. I forgive you, Dean."

Sam and Peyton just watched, helpless, as Anna stepped forward. Melinda closed her eyes as Dean tightened his grip on her. Anna nodded.

"Okay. No more tricks, no more running. I'm ready."

Castiel nodded.

"I am sorry, Anna."

She shook your head.

"No, you're not. You don't know the feeling."   
"Still… We have a history. It's just that—"   
"Orders are orders, I know. Just do it. Make it quick."

Castiel nodded, and took a step forward, until a voice from behind made them all whirl around.

"Don't you dare touch a single hair on that poor little girl's head."

They stood open-mouthed as Alistair and his demons stared down the angels. Ruby was standing in the middle of them, barely able to stand, her shirt covered in blood around her stomach. Dean pushed Melinda to the side of the barn, while Sam did the same with Peyton. The demons threw Ruby to the floor, and she crawled off in the opposite direction. Uriel stepped over to Alistair.

"Dean, what's—"   
"Shh."

They watched as Uriel and Alistair traded barbs. Alistair just wanted Anna. Castiel threatened, which really didn't faze the demons. Uriel went for the demons, while Castiel laid punches to Alistair. Castiel went to exorcise Alistair, who just smiled before turning the tables. He started chanting in Latin, while Melinda shook her head.

"Dean, he'll kill him. You have to stop him."

Dean grabbed a crowbar off the wall, and used it upside Alistair's head. Alistair stood up, wobbling for just a second.

"Dean, Dean, Dean. I am so disappointed. You showed such promise!"

Melinda and Sam exchanged a glance, while Alistair tossed his hands their way. Dean, Peyton, Sam, and Melinda began choking, falling to their knees. Melinda tried to look up to Alistair, to channel her power through her eyes, but he only tightened his grip on her. Uriel looked up from killing a demon just in time to see Anna snatch the chain from around his neck.

"No!"

She threw the vial down on the ground, where blue and white light began swirling. Everyone turned to watch as the light flew into Anna's mouth, almost like smoke. Alistair stopped, letting everyone gasp for breath as Anna crumpled to the ground. She was moaning in pain, and light flashed.

"Shut your eyes!"

The light grew brighter, and Dean grabbed Melinda, pulling her to him, holding her face to his chest. As the light grew even brighter, Dean buried his head in Melinda's hair. They heard one more scream from Anna, and the light seemed to explode. After a minute, Dean looked up, and Melinda pulled back from his embrace. They looked around, to see Ruby still on the ground, Sam and Peyton untangling themselves from each other, and Castiel and Uriel staring at the place where Anna had been.

And Anna and Alistair were nowhere to be found.


	21. Harder to Breathe

They all stood, shakily, to their feet. Dean bent to pick Ruby's knife up off the ground. He turned to Castiel and Uriel, who shared a glance.

"What are you waiting for? Go get Anna."

Uriel started to lunge for Dean, until Castiel held him back. Uriel blew out a breath.

"This isn't over."  
"Looks over to me, Junkless."

Melinda swore she saw Castiel smile, then they were gone. They looked over, as Ruby hobbled over to them. Sam went to help her, to steady her.

"You okay?"

Ruby looked down, at the blood still soaking her shirt.

"Yeah, not so much."

Dean stuck the knife in his pocket, then nodded at Ruby.

"Hey, what took you so long to get here?"

She looked up at him, eyes wide.

"Sorry I was late with your demon delivery. I was only being tortured!"

Melinda shook her head.

"I have to say, Sam… Excellent plan. Bringing them all here together, then stepping back to let them have their pissing match."

Sam nodded.

"Angels and demons… Best to just get out of their way and let them fight."

Peyton stepped forward.

"So, I guess Anna's some big-time angel now, huh?"

Dean looked down at his hands.

"Guess so."  
"You think she's happy? Wherever she is?"

Dean looked up, into Melinda's eyes.

"I doubt it."

* * *

 

In a tiny room in the only motel in that part of Kentucky, the boys were sharing a six-pack of beer. Melinda and Peyton were sharing a bottle of wine, and Ruby was nowhere to be found. Sam came back in, slipping his phone in his pocket, as Dean walked in with the food. They passed it out, ate, and were laid back, relaxing on the beds when Sam cleared his throat.

"Bobby called earlier."  
"Oh, how was his vacation?"  
"We have a "don't ask-don't tell" policy on things like that."

Melinda giggled at Dean, who kissed the top of her head. Sam went on.

"Bobby read this report about a guy in Nebraska who was sliced and diced in a locked room inside a locked house."  
"Well, that's a ghost if I ever heard one."

Sam smiled at Peyton, while Dean sighed and looked at his watch.

"Wanna get a jump on it?"  
"Wait just a minute, guys."

They turned to Melinda, who sat up and ran a hand over her eyes. Peyton sat up, too.

"What is it, Mel?"

Melinda looked at her hands, then looked over to her cousin.

"Don't you think there are some things we need to talk about?"

Dean and Sam stopped, exchanged glances, then turned away from each other. Dean wouldn't look at Melinda, and she sighed.

"That demon, Alistair… He said some things, and—"  
"Drop it, Mel."

She looked to Dean, saw how hard his eyes were. He shook his head.

"Don't pick it up. Leave it be."

Melinda nodded, biting her tongue. She looked up to Sam.

"What about you? Anything you want to say?"

He shook his head.

"Nope."

Melinda nodded.

"Okay. Great. Because hiding our feelings ends up so well for us, doesn't it?!"

She climbed off the bed and the door swung open, swinging shut behind her when she stormed out. Peyton sighed.

"She's right, you know."  
"Let it be, Peyton."

Peyton gave Sam a look, then followed after Melinda. She caught up with her at the car.

"Mel, calm down."  
"Don't tell me to calm down. I am so … I just …"

The streetlight that they were standing under exploded, and Peyton yelped as she moved away from the shower of sparks that rained from the light bulb. The door to their room flew open, and Sam and Dean stood in the doorway. Peyton smiled at them, raised a hand.

"We're fine. It's just … Fine."

They slowly nodded, turning around to go back inside. Peyton turned to Melinda and let out a breath.

"Mel, you have to calm down. You know your powers get all wonky when you're this upset."

Melinda nodded.

"We're not fine, Peyton. Not by a long shot. Dean can't even sleep, because he keeps having these nightmares. I can't sleep, because I'm afraid he'll have a nightmare, and when he does, it throws us both off. And then, when he finally wakes up, he won't talk to me about it. He closes up, and shuts me out, and it … We've done this before, Peyton, and you know how it ended up."

Peyton nodded, and Melinda looked at her.

"And that stupid-ass angel… What he said about Sam and Ruby… I know it bothers you, Peyton."

Peyton smiled as she looked at the ground.

"It does."  
"So why won't you talk to Sam about it?"

She shook her head, and Melinda sighed.

"Peyton, you've got to talk to him."  
"And say what, Mel? 'Sammy, that angel had a big mouth. What exactly is up with you and demon-girl?' Yeah, that'll go over well."

Melinda blew out her breath. Peyton went on.

"I'm afraid of what he might say. Mel, a blind person could see the way they look at each other."  
"No. Peyton, no. He loves you."  
"Well, he obviously has a history with Ruby."

Melinda looked away, and Peyton sighed.

"What is it, Mel? What do you know?"

Melinda sighed and closed her eyes. Peyton shook her head.

"I don't want to know."

Peyton blinked back the tears and Melinda looked over to her.

"Peyt…"  
"No, Mel. Let's do like they say, and leave it be."  
"Peyton, you know that never works."

Peyton just walked away, leaving Melinda alone under the broken streetlight.

* * *

 

The house in Nebraska was horrible, but they got through it. And the next couple of cases were just the same. And then, for a month straight, they never stopped, pushing on to the next case, the next town. They were chasing demons, running from angels, and the secrets they kept were tearing at them.

Dean would wake up in the middle of the night, every single night, in a cold sweat. Sam would close himself off and walk away. Peyton kept her mouth shut, but the tension was weighing on her. Melinda had passed the point of exhaustion, and now … Now, she was just focused on surviving. She knew a breaking point was coming, because it had to be, and when it finally arrived, and all the things they had been keeping to themselves were brought to light, the results would be catastrophic.

* * *

 

It was a Thursday, one of the first few days in December. They were at Bobby's, and snow had just begun to fall before they went to bed. Melinda and Dean had gotten into a routine, showering, brushing their teeth, giving each other a kiss, and going to sleep. They hadn't made love since the night in the backseat of the car in Kentucky. That was the last night either of them could remember being restful. Now, Melinda slept because she had to, but she was getting no rest. Dean slept when his body gave out, and he would wake up, sometimes screaming, 3 or 4 hours after he fell asleep. Tonight was no different.

Melinda rolled over, sighing because she was cold, and hearing Dean start to whimper. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Dean, wake up."

He jerked, started repeating "No." Melinda let out a long breath.

"Dean, honey. Wake up. It's just a dream. You're safe."

He kept muttering, kept jerking and thrashing. Melinda turned to look at him, laying a hand on his arm.

"Dean—"

Her sentence was cut off when his hand came up, smashing into her face. She turned and fell out of the bed, hitting her head on the nightstand. Dean made a few more noises, then quieted down. Melinda untangled herself from her covers and stood up, then made her way into the bathroom. She flipped on the light and gasped. The front of her shirt—well, Dean's shirt—was covered in blood. She looked at her face and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I don't believe this."

She held on to the sink and started to cry, to really let her tears come. She knelt down, still gripping the edge of the sink, but covering her mouth with one hand to stifle her sobs. She was at the end of her rope, and she was just too tired to hang on anymore. She looked up, and in a shaky voice, called for her brother.

But Chris didn't come. And neither did Wyatt. Oh, right. They didn't call them anymore. After that disaster in Virginia nineteen days ago, Wyatt and Chris told Melinda not to bother them anymore. Any person who willingly sided with a demon was no one they could trust. Melinda covered her face with her hands. How did this happen? How could they have gotten to this place? She hadn't seen Castiel in a month. She wondered if he would ever speak to her again, because of her part in the Anna debacle. Melinda wiped the blood from her nose and stood back up, looking in the mirror.

"Jenny? Will you talk to me?"

Bright blue lights shone behind Melinda, and she started sobbing in relief. Her cousin Jenny stood behind her, the last of the orbs shining in her bright red hair. Tears were in Jenny's eyes, and she covered her mouth with a hand.

"Oh, Mel. Oh, honey. What – what happened?"

Melinda shook her head, and Jenny held a hand over Melinda's nose. Her hand didn't glow, and Melinda shook her head again.

"It's not going to work. It … It wasn't from a demon."  
"Melinda, your nose is broken. What happened?"

Melinda sighed, then gently wiped her eyes.

"It was an accident, Jenny."  
"Oh my god, Dean did this?!"  
"He didn't mean to, Jenny! He was asleep. He didn't know what he was doing."

Jenny was crying now, holding Melinda's face in her hands.

"Mel, I … Melinda?"

Melinda burst into tears again, sobbing as Jenny hugged her.

"Oh, Mel."  
"Jen, I'm so tired! I sleep because I have to, but I'm exhausted. We're all on edge from working non-stop, and worrying about this damn Apocalypse, and everyone's hiding something from everyone else, and I just … I can't … I can't do it anymore."

Melinda sobbed some more, and Jenny ran her hand through Melinda's hair. When Melinda had calmed down a bit, Jenny pushed her back.

"Tell you what, Mel. Let me take you home. I'll get Matt to fix your nose, and you can see your mom and dad, maybe relax a little bit?"  
"You would do that?"  
"Melly, of course! The whole Matthews-Mitchell clan is at your house anyway. We've apparently got termites, so Aunt Piper offered to let us stay with her."

Melinda nodded.

"Okay."

Jenny smiled, pulling Melinda into another hug. Melinda opened the bathroom door to see Bobby standing on the other side. He sighed.

"Damn, girl."

Melinda rolled her eyes, as Bobby spoke quietly.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard what's going on. I think a little break would do you all some good."  
"You'll tell him where I went, Bobby?"

His eyes softened as he smiled.

"Of course, sweetheart."

Melinda nodded, and Jenny took her hand, orbing her away. Bobby took his hat off, running a hand through his hair.

"Damn idjit. I'll kill him."


	22. Almost Goodbye

With her mother sitting beside her and her father watching from across the room, Melinda sat at the kitchen table in the Manor, letting her cousin, Dr. Henry Matthew Mitchell, study her nose. He touched it, and she flinched.

"Ouch."

Matt sighed.

"Yeah, it's broken. It's not too bad, though. I can set it for you, but it's going to hurt like a bitch."

Melinda sighed, as she felt her mother rubbing her thumb over the back of her hand.

"I don't want it to be ugly, Matt."  
"Not possible, kiddo. Not with the brilliant Dr. Matt as your guide, and the already exquisite canvas you got going on here."

Melinda tried to smile, but it hurt. Matt looked over to Leo, who nodded, and walked around to hold Melinda steady on the chair. Piper gripped Melinda's hand, and Melinda let out a long breath. Matt took her face in his hands and Melinda gasped.

"Wait! Wait."

Matt let his hands drop, as Melinda took in a few deep breaths, shakily letting them out. She nodded.

"Okay."   
"You ready, Mel?"

She nodded.

"I'm ready."   
"All right, on three."

Melinda closed her eyes as Matt counted.

"One … Two … Three."

As Matt set her nose, Melinda clenched her mouth shut and screamed. Piper shook her head, tears rolling down her face as Melinda gasped, tears streaming down her cheeks. Matt sighed.

"One more time, Mel. Can I…?"   
"Oh, just do it. Get it over with."

Matt nodded, doing one more thing to Melinda's nose, and she let out another muffled scream. Matt sat back, sighing, slipping the bloody gloves off his hands.

"All done. Towel."

The towel orbed into his hand, and he held it under Melinda's nose. She reached a shaky hand up to take it from him, and he nodded.

"You did good, Mel."

She tried to smile, but she was crying too hard.

"Th—thanks, Doc."   
"Anytime, kiddo. I want you to sleep sitting up tonight, all right, Mel? Just in case it starts to bleed again, I don't want you to aspirate."

Melinda nodded.

"Whatever you say, Doc."

He stood up, washing his hands before heading back to bed. Piper sighed, watching as deep purple began to spread under Melinda's eyes. Her baby girl always had been a bad bruiser, and this was going to be a hell of a time. Leo watched as Melinda's eyes began to droop, and he smiled at Piper. He helped Melinda stand up, walking her into the living room. She was dead on her feet.

"Take Daddy's chair, doll."  
"Okay, Mama. Oh, Mama. I need to tell you—"

Piper ran a hand over Melinda's face as she settled into the chair. Piper smiled.

"We can talk in the morning, babe."

Melinda nodded, and Piper kissed her forehead. Leo did the same, and Piper covered Melinda with a blanket. They started to walk away when Melinda eyes flew open.

"Wait. Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

Piper smiled, dropping to sit on the couch. Leo sat beside her, nodding at Melinda. And about half a minute later, Melinda was sound asleep. Piper shook her head, and Leo let out a long breath as he ran a hand over his face.

"Leo, what the hell is going on?"

He shook his head.

"I don't know, honey."   
"She looks terrible. And I'm not just saying because her nose is broken. Which is another point I'd like to make. What the hell broke her nose?"

Jenny and Melinda had orbed into the house, where Piper and Leo hadn't been able to sleep and were in the kitchen, talking. Melinda walked in, crying, going to hug her parents until Matt had rushed down the stairs, cursing when he saw her nose. Piper had turned to Jenny, who simply shook her head and orbed away. Piper sighed.

"She must be exhausted."

Leo nodded.

"This is what she does when she's burnt-out, Piper."   
"Yeah, but it has never been this bad. Leo, she has never been this thin. And did you see her eyes?"

Leo nodded, still trying to get the sight of her eyes out of his head. Piper shook her head.

"They were so … dull. Like all the life was gone out of them."

Leo leaned over, kissing Piper.

"We'll figure it all out tomorrow. Let's go to bed, and let her sleep. She needs it."

* * *

 

Melinda slept for 28 hours, completely missing Friday. She woke up when her mother was fixing breakfast Saturday morning. She stretched and yawned, gasping when she did. Dear God, her face hurt. She climbed out of the chair, the most comfortable chair in this history of chairs, and walked to the mirror in the dining room. She gasped again, seeing the deep bruises underneath her eyes, stretching across her nose. She looked like the loser of a prize fight. She sighed and walked into the kitchen.

"Morning, Mama."  
"Morning, baby—Oh my goodness."

Melinda sighed, as Piper walked over and took her face in her hands.

"Does it hurt?"  
"More than anything I can remember."

Piper smiled, and gently kissed Melinda's forehead. She walked back to the stove, stirring the eggs as Melinda poured a cup of coffee.

"Did you sleep well?"

Melinda smiled.

"Yes, for the first time in a long time."   
"You should have. 28 hours is a long time, Mel."   
"I was out for an entire day?!"

Piper nodded, and Melinda winced as pain shot through her face again. Melinda sipped her coffee, then took a shaky breath.

"Did … Did Dean call?"

Piper nodded.

"He did."

Melinda's heart stuttered, and she took a deep breath.

"But…?"

Piper sighed, wiping her hands on her apron as she turned around.

"But, they received word about a seal in … Boston, I think it was. So he and Sam and Peyton are there."

Melinda slowly nodded.

"Oh."

Piper sighed again, pulling the eggs off the stove and onto a plate. She walked over and sat beside Melinda.

"Peyton came here a little while after you fell asleep. She took one look at you and left, then brought Dean back with her."

Piper shook her head.

"That was tough. I'm so glad you slept through it, because…"

Tears welled up in Piper's eyes.

"I don't know what's going on with you four, but something's got to give, Mel."   
"I know, Mama."   
"Dean was a wreck. An absolute mess. I have never seen a man break the way that he did when he saw your poor little face. Leo had to talk him off the ledge. Thank God Wyatt and Chris weren't here, because they would have killed him, and I'm pretty sure Dean would have let them. Your brothers still don't know, by the way. Jenny's been able to hold them off for a while, but they'll be coming home soon."

A tear rolled down Melinda's bruised face. She sighed.

"They were so mad at me, Mama."

Piper nodded.

"Yes, they were. But it needs to be put to rest, honey. I know those boys, and as soon as they see you, nothing else will matter."

Melinda nodded, and Piper stood back up. As Piper went to fix more food, Melinda walked to the phone. It was so weird, talking on a house phone. Living purely on cell phones, multiple cell phones at that, was something Melinda really didn't care for. But, it was the nature of the beast. She dialed a number, not bothering to hide her disappointment when it went to voicemail.

_"This is Dean. You should not have this number."_   
"Hey, Dean. It—it's me. Give me a call when you get this. Please. Love you."

But as the day went on, he didn't call. He didn't call the next day, either. Melinda tried him again two days later, but it went straight to voicemail. As did his other numbers. Sam's did the same thing. And a week after Melinda arrived home, when her bruises were just beginning to fade, Peyton appeared in the attic. Melinda walked away from studying the Book of Shadows.

"Peyton? What are you doing … What's wrong?"

Peyton burst into tears, and Melinda hurried to her, wrapping her in a hug.

"Honey, what? Peyton, what is it? What happened?"

Peyton shook her head, until Melinda took hold of her face and lifted it to where she could look in Peyton's eyes. Melinda took in a breath as a premonition took hold.

It was Tennessee, very close to Memphis. It was snowing, and the ghosts they were hunting put up a good fight. They finally got rid of them, and Peyton had to take Dean to a clinic to get a particularly nasty cut on his side stitched up. They made it back to the motel, and Dean had gone to his room. Peyton had walked to hers, an uneasy feeling taking over her, especially when she saw the door wasn't shut all the way. She pushed it open, and the sight she'd seen had broken her already fragile heart. Sam was in bed with Ruby, with her sleeping on his chest. Their clothes were littered around the room. Peyton had grabbed her bag and teleported to the Manor.

Melinda exhaled as the vision stopped, and she pulled Peyton close to her.

"Oh, Peyton. Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry."

Peyton went to bed, and stayed there for the better part of the next three days. Melinda called Phoebe, who dropped everything and came to the Manor. Coop refused to listen to anyone, and teleported to—Michigan, was it?—and beat the holy hell out of Sam. He came back shortly after Wyatt and Chris, who would have followed in their uncle's footsteps, had Melinda not talked them down.

Weeks passed by, and the girls celebrated Christmas with their family. Melinda had opened a package wrapped in plain brown paper, no card or anything, smiling as she ran her hand over the pure silver knife with the pink handle. She didn't hear from Dean, and Peyton hadn't spoken to Sam since… Well, since.

But on New Year's Eve, Melinda got a phone call.

"Hello?"   
_"Mel, it's Bobby."_   
"Bobby? What are…"

Melinda's heart fell. Bobby didn't call, unless…

"Bobby, what is it? What's wrong?"   
_"There's been an accident. You need to come."_


	23. Bittersweet

Melinda dropped the phone, and Jenny grabbed it. She talked to Bobby, learning that he and the boys had been on a hunt in Portland, Oregon, and it had gone south in a hurry. First Dean had been shot, and while Sam was driving him to the hospital, Sam had been shot, too. He had been on the phone with Bobby when it happened, but it had taken Bobby a while to find them. He'd finally gotten them to the hospital, and called Melinda. Jenny had hung up the phone, orbing up the stairs to grab Peyton, then back to the kitchen for Melinda. Jenny orbed them to the front of the hospital, and they took off running, slowing when they saw Bobby pacing the floor. He sighed when he saw them.

"Thank God."  
"Where is he, Bobby."   
"Mel, listen to me."   
"Where is he?!"

Bobby sighed as he pointed down the hall, and Melinda ran there. A nurse tried to stop her.

"Ma'am, who are you looking for?"  
"Winchester. Dean Winchester."  
"Are you family?"   
"I'm his fiancée."   
"You're Melinda?"

Melinda nodded, and the nurse sighed.

"He's been asking for you. Right this way."

The nurse led her to a room, and Melinda gasped when she saw him. Dean was lying on the bed, oxygen tubes in his nose. A nurse looked up and nodded, walking out of the room. Melinda blinked back tears and walked to the bed, taking hold of Dean's hand. His green eyes slowly blinked open.

"Mel?"   
"Yeah, baby. I'm right here."  
"You came."   
"Of course I came."

He smiled at her, gently squeezing her hand. His voice was hoarse, labored. She smiled back at him.

"Just had to go and get yourself shot, didn't you?"  
"I was off my game."

Melinda nodded, running a hand over his forehead, through his hair.

"We'll get you back on it, good as new."

Dean closed his eyes when he smiled.

"Not this time, Mel."   
"Don't be stupid, Winchester."   
"I'm not. Why do you think Bobby called you?"

She swore every drop of blood in her body rushed to her head then.

"Stop talking. You need to save your strength."   
"I'm not making it out of this one, Mel."

She shook her head.

"No. You … you're going to be fine."

Dean sighed, trying to ignore the pain that radiated through his body.

"I love you, Mel."   
"Stop talking, damn it."  
"I want you to know that I didn't mean to hurt you. Not ever."   
"Dean…"   
"You need to go, live your life, and be happy."

She snapped her eyes back to his.

"We're bonded, you idiot. If you die, I—"   
"Haven't you wondered why Bobby had to call? If we were still bonded, wouldn't you have felt it? Wouldn't you feel it now?"

Melinda started breathing hard, and she shook her head. Dean closed his eyes, taking a labored breath.

"I don't … I don't understand. We…"   
"We lost it, Mel. I don't know how, but we did."  
"That's impossible."

Dean smiled at her, raised a shaking hand to her face.

"I'm glad I got to see you again, Mel."   
"Don't you dare do this. You promised you wouldn't leave again."  
"I didn't, Mel. You left me. But it's okay."

He let his hand fall, leaning back in the bed. She leaned over, pressing a kiss to his lips. She pulled back and he smiled.

"I love you, Mel."

He closed his eyes, and the machine let out a long, high-pitched whine. Melinda could only watch in horror as doctors and nurses rushed in, yelling and pulling her away from Dean. She found herself in the hall, glancing down to see Peyton crumpling in Jenny's arms, as Bobby ran his hand over his face. The doctor was looking down, and Melinda knew. Sam was gone. Chris came jogging up.

"Mel? What happened?"

Melinda shook her head, and Chris wrapped his arms around her.

"Mom told me there had been some kind of accident?"

Melinda stared at the room she had just been in, where the medical team was still frantically working.

"The hunt went bad. They got shot. Sam … I think Sam just died, and Dean…"

Melinda shook her head and Chris ran a hand through his hair.

"Mel, I—"   
"I left him. I just left, Chris."   
"Honey, you didn't really have a choice."

She smiled, shaking her head.

"Yes, I did. You always have a choice. I promised him I'd never leave, and then I … Just left."

She turned to face her brother, tears glistening in her eyes.

"What kind of a person does that?"

People with somber faces, some shaking their heads started walking out of Dean's room. Chris let out a sigh as a doctor walked over to Melinda. The doctor was an older man, balding, with gray hair, and he sighed.

"I'm so sorry."

Melinda pushed past him, running into the room. Dean lay still on the bed, blood covering his chest, and a tube hanging from his mouth. His eyes were closed, and Melinda noticed tears were coursing down her cheeks.

"No. No, this… This can't happen. No, I … Cas! Castiel, help!"

Nothing.

Melinda walked to the bed, running her hand over Dean's hair. She felt like she would be sick. She tried to hold it in, but she just couldn't. She sobbed, bending over the bed, over Dean, before she hit her knees. She cried until she couldn't breathe, hugging herself as if to hold herself together. She cried harder when she looked down at her ring, as it sparkled slightly as the light hit it, then seemed to go dull. Melinda covered her face, screaming out Dean's name.

"Please! God, please don't let this happen!"

She sobbed some more, clenching her eyes shut, willing it all to be a dream. When she opened her eyes, the room was empty. She looked around, hurrying to her feet when she saw that Dean was gone. She wasn't even in the hospital anymore. She was alone.

"What … what the hell is going on?!"

She looked around, tears still falling from her eyes. She wiped them away, then turned around, stopping when she saw the doctor standing behind her. But he was wearing a suit now. Melinda sniffed.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled.

"My name is Zachariah."

Melinda took in a breath.

"You're an angel, aren't you?"

His smile widened as he nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. I am sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, but you understand, I'm sure."  
"No. No, I don't understand a damn thing. What … what the hell is going on?"

Zachariah nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets. Melinda looked to him.

"Where is Dean?"   
"Asleep in the bed at Bobby's."  
"What? But he … He just …"

Zachariah shook his head.

"Sweetheart, about five minutes has passed since you woke up. Remember?"  
"No, I don't! I haven't seen or spoken to Dean in a month!"

Zachariah shook his head again.

"Let me put this in a way you'll understand. Everything that you remember from the past month has been a premonition."

Melinda stared at him, shaking her head.

"No. No, I've had premonitions before, my whole freaking life I've had premonitions, and that was not one."   
"No, you've had premonitions given to you by the Elders. Angel premonitions are a tad bit different."

Melinda was breathing hard, and she laid a hand to her stomach.

"So… All of this… It's not real?"

Zachariah shook his head with a smile.

"The last thing that truly happened was Dean broke your nose. You went to get out of bed, and you hit your head on the nightstand, giving us a perfect in. From that moment on, everything you've thought or remembered has been from us."

She stood there, eyes darting around, trying to comprehend it.

"So the fight with Wyatt and Chris?"   
"Never happened."  
"Peyton and Sam?"   
"Still together, asleep just down the hall from you."

Melinda sighed.

"Do you do this often? Toy with people's emotions and put them through hell?"   
"Interesting choice of words, my dear."  
"Can we cut the bullshit, Zach? What do you want from me?"

Zachariah nodded his head.

"All right. You are an asset to us. Dean is a necessity for our plan, but you… Well, we wouldn't have Dean if we didn't have you. We gave you this vision to get you on our side."  
"Right, because just asking me is, what, too easy?"

Zachariah smiled.

"Dean and Sam are the Chosen Ones."   
"Yeah, yeah, the fate of the free world rests in their hands. We know. Castiel has hammered that point home. Ruby's even done it. Angels and demons alike have drilled that into our freaking heads, so…"

Zachariah crossed his arms.

"The four of you have been doing a good job. Seals have been stopped, even though more have been broken. But…"  
"I knew it was coming."   
"If you keep going like you're going, the vision we gave you will come true."

Melinda stopped, met Zachariah's eyes.

"Melinda, you have to get Dean to talk to you. Get him to let some of it out. What he's holding inside will break him."   
"What is it?"

Zachariah shook his head.

"You have to get _him_ to unload it. If you don't, he will die. And consequently, so will Sam. Which brings me to another point."

He sighed, turning to her.

"Sam Winchester is on a dangerous path. You must stop him."   
"Wait a minute. Sam is not my responsibility."   
"I realize that. But you are the only one who can remain neutral."

Melinda shook her head.

"I don't understand."

Zachariah smiled.

"Dean has a blind spot when it comes to his brother. Peyton is much too invested. You are the only one that can still see Sam's faults."

Melinda nodded.

"What's he doing?"

Zachariah shook his head.

"You have to stop him, Melinda. No matter the cost."   
"How am I supposed to do that if I don't know what he's doing?"   
"Stop him, or we will."

A chill ran down Melinda's spine.

"Okay. I … I'll do it."   
"All of it?"

Melinda sighed.

"All of it."

Zachariah smiled.

"Atta girl."

He reached out and laid two fingers to her forehead, and Melinda woke up with a gasp. She shook her head, which was aching like nobody's business, and she untangled herself from the covers and walked to the bathroom. She flipped on the light, groaning when she saw the front of her shirt—well, Dean's shirt—covered in blood. She looked up to the ceiling.

"Jenny, I need your help. And bring Matt with you."


	24. Help

The next morning, Peyton woke up later than usual, and woke Sam up when she did.

"Ow. Oh, son of a bitch."   
"What is it? Are you okay?"

Peyton climbed out of bed and walked to the mirror. She touched her nose, which looked fine. She turned back to Sam, who was sitting up, yawning.

"Does your nose hurt?"

Sam gave her a funny look and shook his head.

"Someone in this house has a broken nose, I think, and it hurts like a bitch."

Sam smiled.

"Maybe Mel got ahold of Dean last night."

Peyton giggled, then held out a hand.

"Come on. I'll let you fix me breakfast."

Sam laughed, but crawled out of bed, slipping a shirt on. They walked downstairs, and Bobby was already at the stove. Peyton walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning, Bobby."

He waved her back and she poured a cup of coffee, handed it to Sam before pouring her own. Sam winked at her.

"Hey Bobby, how's your nose?"

He turned around, giving them both a look that made Peyton giggle again. Sam shook his head.

"Never mind."

Bobby shook his head, muttering under his breath, as Dean came racing down the stairs, wearing only his pajama pants.

"Where is she? Have you seen her?"

Bobby turned back from the stove.

"Slow down, son. What's wrong?"   
"Mel. Have you seen Mel?"

Bobby shook his head, and Dean let out a shaky breath.

"She—she's gone. I woke up, and she was gone."

Peyton was shaking her head.

"No. No, she … She wouldn't just leave."  
"She's got to be here, son. We'll find her."

Bobby reached and turned off the stove.

"All right, Peyton and I will search downstairs. Dean, you take upstairs, and Sam, check outside."

They nodded and took off, not yelling her name, out of fear and for her protection. Dean was frantic, tearing rooms apart as he searched for her. Sam nearly turned cars over outside, and Bobby and Peyton searched every nook and cranny of each room they walked in, until they got to the library. Bobby let out a sigh when he looked at his chair, where Melinda was huddled, wrapped in a blanket, sound asleep. He could only see the top of her head. Peyton came in behind him and he held up a hand, pointing to the chair. Peyton breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God."

Peyton walked over, laying a hand softly on Melinda's shoulder.

"Mel? Sweetie, wake up."

Melinda stirred, letting out a little moan.

"You had us worried for a second there, kid. We thought … Oh my God."

Melinda sat up, and Peyton's mouth fell open at the sight of her face. Bobby's eyes went wide.

"What the hell happened?"

Melinda looked over to him as Sam came in from outside.

"There's no sign of her outside. I looked—Holy shit, Mel."

Melinda looked up to him, and Dean came in the room, breathing hard.

"I'm telling you, she's not upstairs. She … Mel?"

Melinda tried to smile at him, but it hurt. Dean walked over and knelt in front of her. He reached a hand up to her face, then let it fall.

"Honey, what happened?"

Melinda's nose was swollen, and deep, angry purple spread under both of her eyes. Not one, but two black eyes, thanks to her broken nose. Peyton let her hand come up to touch her own nose, wincing when she did. Melinda looked down, then brought her eyes back to Dean's. She went ahead and smiled, even though it brought tears to her eyes.

"We need to talk."

Dean's face fell, and lost all color as her memory of the night before played in his mind. He stared at his hand, then stood up, shaking his head, then left the room. Melinda let her eyes close and she let out a sigh. Peyton sat on the arm of the chair, taking her hand. Melinda opened her eyes and looked to Bobby. She smiled softly and sadly.

"He was dreaming again. I tried to wake him up. I guess I shouldn't have touched him, but…"  
"Dean did this to you?"

Melinda brought tear-filled eyes to Peyton's.

"It was an accident, Peyt. He didn't know what he was doing."

Peyton covered her mouth as Sam just stared at Melinda. Bobby ran a hand over his face. Melinda nodded, then turned to Bobby.

"I don't care what happens. Do not come upstairs. Do not bother us. I am locking us in that room, and we're not leaving until I get some answers. It might take all day. It might take all week. I don't care. We have to get this out."

Bobby nodded, and Melinda turned to Peyton. She whispered softly, where only Peyton could hear.

"You need to do the same with Sam. I'll tell you why later. Make him talk, Peyt."

Peyton gave her a worried look, and Melinda squeezed her hand. She nodded and stood up, letting out a groan.

"Aspirin's in the cabinet by the fridge."

Melinda smiled at Bobby.

"Thank you."

* * *

 

Dean paced the bedroom.

_How_? How could this have happened?

He had never laid a hand on a woman, and had a hard time doing it when one turned out to be a monster. He promised Melinda that he would never hurt her, then he goes and breaks her nose?

He ran his hands through his hair, hating himself with everything he had in him. He heard the door open behind him, and heard the lock click when it was shut. He had his back to the door, and he set his hands on his hips. It was quiet for a while, with Dean just shaking his head. Melinda finally spoke.

"Please, stop."   
"How can I?"

Melinda laid a hand over her heart, and Dean blew out his breath.

"Why don't you stop?"

She wished he would just look at her, but he wouldn't turn around. He let out a laugh.

"Mel, you're killing me."   
"You're killing me, Dean."   
"No. I don't deserve for you to keep pushing this love and forgiveness on me, all right?"  
"Well, you sure as hell don't deserve the self-loathing you're pushing on yourself."  
"Are you kidding me?"

He turned around then, and it was like a white hot iron lanced through his soul. Her beautiful face was marred, bruised, and it was all his fault.

"You were asleep. You didn't know what you were doing."  
"And what, you just let me sleep?"   
"For the first time in weeks, you just rolled over. You didn't wake up sweating. You didn't get up and go anywhere. You just slept. So yes, I let you sleep. I called Jenny, and she brought Matt with her."   
"Matt? Her brother? The doctor?"   
"Yes."

Dean scratched his head, and Melinda sighed.

"Jenny couldn't heal me, because this didn't come from a demon."   
"You sure?"

She sighed as he looked away.

"Whitelighters can only heal injuries caused by demons or other evil supernatural forces. This is just like the time I broke my arm in the second grade. It's just one of those things that happen."   
"This just happens, Mel? Men break their girls' noses while they sleep often?"   
"Stop being a dick."

Dean blew out his breath. He shook his head, and Melinda stepped forward.

"Oh, no. Uh-uh. You're not going anywhere."  
"Mel, I—"   
"No. We are going to sit right here and talk this out."   
"You can't ask me to do that."   
"Sorry, is your nose broken?"

He looked away.

"That's low, Mel."   
"Well, I'm sorry. I have kept my mouth shut for a damn month, because you told me to 'let it be.' Well, I can't do that anymore. I will not sit here and let it be any more."

Dean sighed, and Melinda walked over to him and took his face in her hands.

"We are going to stay in this room until we lay it all out on the table. I don't care if it takes all day. I don't care if it takes all year. The damn Apocalypse can come and go."

Very carefully, she laid her lips on his. He tried to fight it, but he knew he could never fight her. Melinda moved back and kissed his nose.

"Dean, I love you. You matter so much more to me than anything else. I've kept my mouth shut while you suffered all by yourself, but I can't do it anymore. I won't."

He shook his head.

"I don't know if I can, Mel."

She smiled, rubbing her thumbs on his cheeks.

"It's okay, baby. We'll just sit here until you can."

Melinda kissed him one more time, then climbed up on the bed. Dean sighed, putting his hands back on his hips as he returned to pacing.


	25. You've Got To Talk To Me

After they ate lunch, Dean got up to pace the room some more. Melinda sighed, resting back against the pillows. She ran a hand over the nightstand, pretending not to notice the dull ache in her head. She and Dean had been sitting in silence for hours. She was beginning to rethink this whole "lock themselves up until they let it out" thing when Dean let out a long sigh.

"I know you heard him."

Melinda looked up, meeting Dean's eyes.

"Who, baby?"   
"Alistair. You heard what he said … about me having promise."

Melinda thought for a moment, then nodded. Alistair was the demon that had been after Anna. She thought back to them in the barn, when Dean had hit him with a crowbar.

_"Dean, Dean, Dean. I am so disappointed. You showed such promise!"_   
"Aren't you curious?"

Coming back to reality, Melinda looked over to Dean, who was looking out the window. He took in a breath, speaking as quietly as he did before.

"About what happened in hell?"

Melinda swallowed.

"I'm damn curious, Dean. But you aren't talking about it, and I don't want to push you."

He nodded, with a sad smile on his face. Melinda sat up, pushing the blankets off of her, while Dean took a seat on the edge of the couch. He couldn't look at her, so he stared out the window.

"It wasn't four months, you know."

Melinda looked up from staring at her hands, looking over to Dean. She didn't say a word, so he kept on.

"Time moves differently down there. It was four months up here, but down there … It was more like forty years."

Dean was slowly rubbing his hands together, and he looked down at them.

"They sliced and carved and tore at me in ways you wouldn't believe. They took on different forms as they did it, too. Different people that I wasn't able to save. Friends of ours. My dad. My mom, sometimes. Sam. You."

Melinda shook her head as she closed her eyes. If she ever had the chance, she would find those demons and give them the most painful death she could. Dean took in a shaky breath.

"They would go on and on … Until there was nothing left. And then, suddenly… I'd be whole again. Like magic. Just so they could start all over."

A tear slid down Melinda's face. Dean still stared at his hands, still gently rubbing them together.

"And at the end of every day, Alistair would come to me, and he would make me an offer. Every freakin' day. He would take me off the rack … If I put souls on. I could get off, if I started to torture. And every day, I told him he could stick it where the sun shines."

Dean smiled, and Melinda couldn't help but smile, too. Then Dean clenched his hands.

"For thirty years, I told him no."

Melinda's smile disappeared. Thirty? Hadn't he said he was down there for forty years? Her stomach clenched as she shook her head. Oh, God. Please, no. Dean's voice was shaking now.

"But then I couldn't do it anymore. I just couldn't. And I got off that rack. God help me, I got right off it."

A tear rolled down his face, and Melinda covered her mouth with a hand.

"And I started ripping them apart. I lost count of how many souls. The things that I did to them…"

He shook his head, tears rolling down his face. Melinda covered her face with her hands, holding in her sobs.

"I can still hear them. The screams. Begging me not to, to please, please stop. That's what I dream about. Not the torture I received; the torture I inflicted. The souls that I carved and tore and ripped to shreds, every night I hear them."

He let out a sob, and Melinda echoed it on the bed.

"I can't escape it. I try to forget it, but it keeps coming back. And what's inside of me, what I feel… I wish I couldn't feel it. I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing."

He covered his face with his hands, falling to his knees, and Melinda climbed off the bed. She walked over and knelt in front of him.

"Dean."

He shook his head. He was bent over, his elbows on his knees, his hands covering his face. Melinda took hold of his hands, pulling them away. His face was red, and tears were still streaking down his cheeks. She let out a shaky breath.

"Dean, you held out for thirty years. That's longer than anyone would have."

He shook his head, and she gripped his legs.

"Yes, it is. The things they put you through…"

Tears coursed down her face as he bit back a sob. She moved her hands up, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"I wish I could take your pain away. I wish I could make it easier for you."

He shook his head, as the tears continued to fall. She shook her head, looking up at him.

"Tell me what to do. I don't know what to say to you. How can I help you?"

He took hold of her arms, pulling her up to her feet as he stood. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and holding her tightly. She sighed, feeling him put his face in her hair and she let out a quiet sob. She gripped him just as tightly, running a hand through his hair as she gently laid her aching face on his shoulder.

* * *

 

Peyton was swinging her legs off the edge of the bed. Sam sighed.

"I don't understand what the deal is."  
"Oh, come on, Sam."

He ran his hands through his hair.

"What do you want me to say, Peyton?"

She let out a sigh.

"That angel … He—he said some things."

Sam nodded, setting his hands on his hips. Peyton closed her eyes and went on.

"Are you sleeping with Ruby?"   
"What?! Peyton, no."   
"Then what did Uriel mean?"

Sam sighed, running his hands through his hair again. He took a seat on the edge of the chair in the room, across from Peyton, who was still on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs.

"It's kind of a long story."

Peyton looked up at him, pushed a curl out of her face. She smiled.

"We got time, Sam."

Sam nodded, smiling, and rubbed his hands together. He took a breath.

"After Dean died, Bobby and I buried him. Usually with a hunter, you burn the bones. Kind of insurance, I guess."

Sam shrugged his shoulders, and looked down at his hands. Peyton didn't speak, she just let him go on.

"You know that, because after we buried him, you and Mel came. And after you guys left, I left. Took off, didn't speak to Bobby for a long time. Didn't speak to anyone, really. To tell you the truth, the first two months are hazy, because I spent them drunk off my ass."

He kind of laughed, and Peyton nodded.

"I don't blame you. I probably would have done the same thing."

Sam nodded.

"I promised Dean I wouldn't try to bring him back, but I couldn't keep that promise. How was I supposed to just leave him in hell?"

Sam shook his head.

"I went to about 14 different crossroads. None of the damn demons would make a deal. Most of the time, they wouldn't even show. I met with one, offered to take Dean's place. But he told me that the demons had everything right where they wanted it. Dean was in hell, and I was left up here. And I wasn't as strong as he was."  
"Sam—"   
"No, it's true. Dean has always been stronger than me. When we were growing up, Dad taught him everything, and little Sammy was left in the back. Dean took it as he was protecting me by storming the front lines, but… I guess I resented it?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders, and Peyton slowly nodded. Sam went on.

"Anyway, after I talked with the one demon, I went back to my hotel, where I was ambushed by a couple of demons. I didn't even notice that the girl had Ruby's knife. She talked a big talk, then stabbed the demon behind me and made me leave with her. I realized it was Ruby, but because she had a new face…"

Peyton nodded.

"I told her I wouldn't have anything to do with her while she was possessing some innocent person. So she goes and finds a coma patient."

Sam laughed as he looked back down to his hands.

"She offered to help me get Lilith, by using my psychic … whatever. And I agreed."

Peyton's mouth hung open. Sam had told her a little bit of what he was able to do, due to the demon blood that ran through his veins. She shook her head.

"Sam, that's … That's dangerous."   
"I know. But I was a crappy student. I couldn't get it right, even with Ruby's help, and… Well, after a particularly grueling session, I was drunk. Ruby was there. One thing led to another, and…"

Peyton shook her head, holding up her hands.

"I got it, thanks."

Sam sighed.

"We heard that Lilith was nearby, and I insisted on going to kill her. Ruby didn't want to, but I went anyway. And Ruby ended up saving my life. I saved hers too, because for the first time ever, I was able to use my power to exorcise a demon."   
"With your mind."

Sam nodded.

"And then, I was able to play around with it a little bit. Manipulate it the way I wanted."

Peyton shook her head.

"Sam, that's dangerous. Don't you understand?"

He sighed.

"I know. Dean caught me once and ripped my ass a new one. So, I stopped."

Sam looked up, meeting Peyton's eyes.

"I'm not doing it anymore, Peyton. And Ruby … She's just a friend. She means nothing to me. I love you."

Peyton smiled, and stood up, walking over to him. She kissed him, and he held her face in his hands.

"I love you, too."

Peyton kissed his chin, then started for the bathroom.

"I think I need a bath. Want to join me?"

Sam smiled and nodded, and as Peyton walked away, he let out a breath.

He hated lying to her, but what else could he do? Well, it wasn't really a lie. He didn't love Ruby. Well, okay. Not the way that he loved Peyton. Ruby was just …

Ruby had been there for him when he thought that he didn't have anyone else. He couldn't very well tell Peyton that Ruby was …

He sighed, shaking his head as he pulled his shirt off. To tell the truth, he was actually kind of surprised that he got away with it. Peyton was the most intuitive person that he knew, and for him to be able to hide something, anything, from an empath was a huge deal. Maybe he should stop.

No. Sam straightened his shoulders. This was about revenge. Lilith had to die, and there was only one way to make that happen.

"Sammy? You coming?"

He looked to the bathroom. There was no way he could just stop now. Hell, he'd hidden it from Dean for nearly two damn years. He'd hidden it from all of them through the past year. He'd just have to be more careful, since Peyton would no doubt be on the lookout now. He'd just make sure that no one ever noticed anything was different about Sam Winchester.


	26. I Won't Give Up

Dean and Melinda stood there for the longest time, just holding each other. Finally, their tears slowed, and Dean loosened his hold on her. He kissed her forehead and backed away.

"I'm sorry, Mel."  
"Don't be sorry."

He shrugged his shoulders as he sat on the couch. He shook his head.

"I can't believe that I broke your nose."

Melinda glanced down at the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Mel."

She let her eyes close, as her heart was absolutely breaking. She knelt in front of him, moving between his legs, as he ran a hand over his eyes.

"Hey. Hey, you. Look at me."

He let out a breath, then brought his eyes to hers. She smiled, but tears gathered in her eyes.

"This was not your fault."  
"Melinda, get real."  
"Okay, did you go to bed last night deciding on exactly how you were going to break my nose?"

He blew out his breath, looking away, and she took hold of his chin, bringing his face back to hers.

"You were asleep, Dean. You weren't thinking it was me. I shouldn't have grabbed you the way I did."  
"You stop that right now. This is in no way, shape, or form your fault."  
"Take your own advice, Winchester."

Dean hung his head, letting out a long breath. Melinda reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Dean, I don't hold you responsible for this. I've already forgiven you. Baby, forgive yourself."

He shook his head, and she cupped his face in her hands.

"Not just for this, honey. Forgive yourself for what happened all those months ago."

He closed his eyes, and Melinda went on.

"You were put into horrific, unimaginable circumstances. And you held out longer than any normal person would have. The things you did… You really didn't have a choice, Dean."   
"I did. I did have a choice, and I chose to torture those souls."

He absently reached up, rubbing the burn on his arm. Melinda smiled, then reached up, covering the handprint with her own. He looked to her, finally meeting her eyes.

"You are a good man. No matter what you say, I know that is true. And obviously, God believes so, too. You have things to do, Dean. I don't know what those things are, but they must be important, for God to have sent His angels to pull you out of hell."

Dean sighed, and Melinda raised her hand, resting it on the side of his face. He let his eyes drift close.

"I love you, and I wish you would just see yourself the way that I do. I wish you could believe in yourself the way that I believe in you."   
"I can't just forget, Mel."   
"I know. It's going to take some time. And you won't ever be able to forget. But I'm here."

She shrugged her shoulders, and he opened his eyes, seeing her smile.

"I'm not going anywhere, Dean. Even if you break my nose, you're stuck with me."

He shook his head, but he smiled.

"Either I'm incredibly lucky, or you're …"   
"Incredibly stupid."

He laughed, and the sound sent hope through Melinda's heart. She leaned up and kissed him, and he was so careful not to touch her, to only move his lips. She pulled back, smiling. She stood up, holding out a hand to him. He reached up to take it, and stood, following her to the bed. She climbed in it, and he followed her. The love they made was careful, and gentle, and it soothed the pain they were both feeling.

* * *

 

Dean was holding Melinda, running his fingers through her hair when she sighed. He smiled, kissing her head.

"What's on your mind, pretty girl?"

Melinda shook her head, snuggling closer to him.

"I … I talked to an angel, Dean. A different one."

He moved back, looking at her.

"What?"

Melinda sighed.

"Last night, when … You know. I was trying to get out of bed, and I got all tangled in the covers. I fell, and hit my head on the nightstand."  
"Mel."   
"I'm okay. But…"

She shook her head, trying and unable to find the words.

"I called Jenny, because Wyatt and Chris were mad at us and refused to come help us. She took me home, and I stayed there. I slept for a long time, and Mama said that Peyton brought you, and when you saw me, you just … broke. And I didn't hear from you again. Peyton came home, because Sam cheated on her with Ruby, and we spent Christmas without hearing a word from you. Bobby called on New Year's Eve, to tell us that you and Sam were hurt."

Dean was rubbing her arm, confused, but letting her go. She took a shaky breath.

"I saw you, in the hospital. You kept saying that you weren't getting out of this one, and we lost the bond somehow. I didn't even know… Bobby had to call and tell me. And you died on me, Winchester. Sam, too."

She kept shaking her head, staring at the wall.

"I left you, and you died."   
"Mel, I…"

She shrugged her shoulders, pulling the blanket tighter around her.

"Turns out, it was all a dream. A premonition, handed to me from the angels."

Dean let out a sigh.

"You're kidding."

Melinda shook her head.

"Nope. Zachariah was this one's name. He let me know that everything I had seen was just a vision, and none of it was really true. You were fine, asleep. Peyton and Sam were asleep. Zachariah said I had to get you to talk, or else the vision would come true. I couldn't lose you, Dean. I—I can't."

He nodded, pulling her in to kiss her temple.

"I'm glad you did, Mel. It feels a little better, to have it off my chest."

She sat up, smiling at him, and he let out a laugh.

"I know, I know. You were right."  
"Damn straight."

Dean laughed again, pulling her back to him. Melinda moved over, where she was in a better place to kiss him.

"Oh, Mel. You're going to wear me out, aren't you?"

She smiled at him again, gave him a wink.

"Damn straight."

* * *

 

That night, for the first time in a long time, there were no nightmares. Dean slept soundly, holding tight to Melinda all night long. The next morning, everyone converged in Bobby's library. Peyton smiled at Melinda, letting out a happy sigh when she felt the emotions between her cousin and her fiancé. Melinda nodded, still holding onto Dean's hand. Peyton nodded back at her, and Melinda sighed. Dean bent to kiss her forehead, trying to ignore the deep bruises around her eyes.

"I've been checking some reports on a possible situation in North Carolina. Chapel Hill."

Melinda nodded at Bobby, then looked to Dean.

"Don't even think about it, Winchester."

Dean sighed, keeping his mouth shut. Peyton, Sam, and Bobby tried to hide their smiles, and Bobby turned to Dean and Sam.

"I could use a hand here."

The boys nodded, following Bobby outside. Peyton sat with her head tilted, until Melinda looked over to her.

"Peyt, what is it?"

Peyton shook her head.

"I don't know. I just have this feeling like I need to go home."

Melinda's face changed.

"Well, go. I learned a long time ago to listen to your intuition, O Great One."

Peyton smiled, then nodded. Melinda reached out and they grasped hands for a moment.

"Call me if you need me."

Peyton nodded, then disappeared. Melinda let out a breath, taking a seat on the arm of the couch. Sam came back in, brushing snow off his shoulders.

"They don't really need me. Where's Peyton?"  
"Oh, she had a feeling that she needed to go home. Something I learned to trust in a long time ago—"   
"When Peyton has a feeling, just go with it."

Melinda smiled and nodded as Sam took his jacket off. He went to sit behind the desk, picking up a book, and Melinda sighed.

"Sam, can we talk?"

He looked up at her, nodding as he set the book aside. Melinda took in a breath.

"Is everything okay, Sam?"

He gave her a funny look, then smiled.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

Melinda nodded, looking down. Sam leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Mel, what's going on?"

She sighed, then decided to just bite the bullet.

"I saw you."

Sam's eyebrows furrowed together.

"You saw what?"

Melinda sighed again.

"I saw you, before we took Anna to Kentucky."

Sam thought back, and his heart dropped. His face fell when he brought his eyes back to Melinda's.

"You and Ruby seemed pretty close."

Sam swallowed.

"She's my friend, Mel."   
"You kiss all your friends like that, Sam? I'm your friend, and you have _never_ kissed me like that."

Sam was trying his damnedest not to show any emotion. How the hell could this have happened? He and Ruby had been so careful… He took in a breath.

"Mel, listen—"   
"I don't know what's going on. I don't know what you're doing, Sam, but you need to stop. I can only guess that it can't be anything good, since you know, Ruby's a demon."

Sam sighed, ran a hand through his hair as she went on.

"That's a nasty little habit of hers, isn't it? The way her eyes tend to black out?"

Sam looked over to her, and Melinda shook her head.

"Open your eyes, Sam."   
"She's my friend, Melinda. She helped me out when no one else could."  
"I get that, Sam. I do."

She stood up.

"But Sam… Ruby is a demon. That will never change."   
"So, what, I should just cut her off, because, as you said, her eyes tend to black out?"   
"I'm just saying, when have you known a demon to be completely honest? To not have a hidden agenda?"

Sam blew out his breath and stood up.

"You don't understand. She saved my life, Mel."   
"And I think we've repaid her for that, don't you?"

Sam shook his head, running his hands through his hair. Melinda sighed.

"I talked to some angels, Sam. They told me that I need to stop you. Now I don't know what exactly it is that I need to stop, but if the angels are worried about it, it's obviously something important. You're a smart guy, Sam. Stop letting your emotions for this girl get in the way of what you know is right and wrong."

Melinda turned around and left the room. Sam closed his eyes, feeling ripples of anger flow through him. Who the hell did she think she was? Telling him he needed to stay away from Ruby? They didn't understand. None of them. Ruby helped him when no one else could. She taught him so much, and he owed her. He …

Sam's eyes grew wide when he realized it. He _needed_ Ruby.

He ran his hands through his hair. Something was going to have to give, and Sam knew just what he'd have to do.


	27. No

"Hey, Bobby. It's Mel. … No, Chapel Hill was a bust. … Yep, exactly. …Listen, have you talked to Sam? … Well, how's the ghost situation in Billings? … What do you mean, 'there isn't one'? … Right. My mistake. Listen, Dean's finishing up, so… Yeah. We'll be waiting on your call. … You too."

Melinda hung up the phone and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

As soon as they got to Chapel Hill, Sam had gotten a call. Bobby had discovered a bad ghost problem in Billings, Montana, and Sam told him he'd go and help. Dean and Melinda could handle whatever was in Chapel Hill, which turned out to be nothing. Which, apparently, was the same situation as Billings.

Sam had lied. That was the only explanation.

Melinda reached up and rubbed her forehead. She was getting a headache. Not to mention the only thing she'd heard from Peyton was bad news. Phoenix, Peyton's older sister, was sick. When she was five, Phoenix had leukemia. Peyton, two years old at the time, had moved in with Piper and Leo, and that was one reason why Peyton and Melinda were so close. And now, Phoenix was sick again. Peyton was staying with her, but they both urged Melinda to stay where she was, to figure out some way to stop the Apocalypse. Melinda let out a sigh and let her head fall back on the seat.

"Well, that sounds promising."

She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. Dean slid into the car, leaning over to kiss her. Her face was looking better, and didn't hurt near as badly anymore. She wore big sunglasses that covered most of the bruises up. Dean sat back against the seat.

"Did you get ahold of Bobby?"

Melinda nodded.

"Yep. He hasn't heard of anything yet."  
"What about the ghosts in Billings?"

Melinda stopped, thankful for the sunglasses. She put a smile on her face.

"Not a problem after all."

Dean smiled and nodded. It wasn't really a lie, was it? Melinda closed her eyes. Covering up Sam's lie with a lie of her own. What the hell had happened to them? She realized Dean was talking, and she shook her head to listen.

"Wait. What? I missed that."

Dean smiled.

"I said, I haven't found anything either. It kind of seems like it's quiet, for now."

Melinda sat up.

"Does this mean we have a day?"

Dean smiled.

"I think we have a day."

She let out a "yay," and Dean laughed as she leaned over to kiss him.

"We have a day! And we're in North Carolina, where there are beaches!"

Dean shook his head as he started the Impala. He slid his sunglasses on his face, then turned to Melinda.

"Let's go find one."

* * *

 

Late that afternoon, Dean was sitting on a chair, and he couldn't take his eyes from Melinda. It was December, and the beach was cold as hell. She didn't seem to care, though. They had walked down near the water, but that was way too cold. She had just laughed, running away from the waves that got too close. She sat on the sand for a while, playing in it like a child. And now, she was sitting on the chair with him, right in his lap, just watching the waves. She was leaning back against him, wrapped in his jacket and his arms. She let out a happy, contented sigh, and Dean smiled as he kissed her temple.

"I love it when we have a day."

Dean laughed, and Melinda laced her fingers through his. She leaned back further, pressing a kiss to the underside of his chin.

"What do you say we go fool around in the car?"

Dean hopped up out of the chair and Melinda fell backwards, laughing. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the car.

* * *

 

Melinda was shaky and breathing hard when she sat up. She let out a laugh, slipping her shirt back on over her head. Dean was sprawled out across the backseat, breathing just as hard.

"I don't remember second base being like that."   
"Baby, that was a home run."

She laughed some more, leaning back to button her jeans. She leaned over to kiss him.

"Get presentable, Winchester. Food. We've got to get some kind of food."

He nodded, tugging his jeans up. He pulled his sweater over his head and sighed. Melinda was smiling at him as she tapped the seat.

"This ol' car has treated us well."   
"My Baby don't disappoint. Either one."

Melinda laughed some more, and climbed over the seat to sit in the front. Dean got out, using the doors like a normal person, and climbed in the driver's seat in time to hear Melinda groan.

"What is it with you and my hair? Every single time, it's like…"   
"Hey, you got the look. Work it."  
"What look?"   
"The 'You Just Got F—'"   
"Dean!"

He laughed as he started up the car, and they drove to the first restaurant they saw. They got a room at a little motel down the road, and took their dinner there. They walked inside, and the light flicked on.

"Winchester and Halliwell."   
"Well, that's a voice I can't forget. Damn it."

Dean had taken Melinda in his arms when the light came on, turning her around. He let her go and sighed as they turned around. Melinda sighed.

"Uriel. Long time no see. Not long enough, though."

Uriel was sitting on a couch, and Castiel was standing back, looking out the window. Melinda set her food on the table and took her scarf off.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Uriel stood up, looking to Dean.

"You are needed."   
"Thanks, but I'll pass."  
"You mind your tone with me, boy."  
"Why don't you mind your damn tone with him!"

Dean reached over, taking Melinda's hand. Uriel's eyes hardened, and Castiel didn't say a word.

"Winchester, we raised you out of hell for our purposes."  
"Yeah, and what were those, exactly?"

Melinda was watching Castiel, who finally spoke up.

"Dean, we know this is difficult to understand."  
"And we …"

Uriel turned back to look at Castiel, who stared down at the floor. Melinda shared a look with Dean as Uriel turned back to them.

"…Don't care."

Dean was staring at Castiel, paying no attention to Uriel, who really didn't care. He just kept on talking.

"Now. Seven angels have been murdered, all of them from our garrison."

Melinda looked from Dean to Castiel.

"Demons?"

Uriel shrugged his shoulders. Dean spoke up, to Castiel, who didn't answer him.

"How are they doing it?"   
"We don't know. That's why we need you."

Melinda smiled.

"Wait just a minute. _You_ need _our_ help hunting a demon?"

Uriel shot her a look, and she raised her chin.

"We can handle the demons, thank you very much."

Melinda nodded, then rolled her eyes. Dean bit his cheek to keep from smiling. Melinda whistled.

"A demon with the juice to ice angels… Mm, that seems a bit above our pay grade, don't you think, dear?"

Dean shook his head, unable to stop the smile this time. Castiel sighed.

"That is not what we need your help with. We have Alistair."   
"Good. He should be able to rat out your trigger man."   
"But he won't talk. Alistair has a very strong will."

Melinda's eyes grew wide as Dean nodded to Castiel.

"The man has a black belt in torture. You guys are out of your league."  
"No, please."

Dean glanced to Melinda, who was staring at Castiel. Castiel would not look at her, and Dean's heart stopped when Uriel spoke.

"That's why we've come to his student."

Dean's face fell, hardened, as Uriel went on.

"You are the best interrogator we've got."   
"No. No, Cas. You can't ask this."

Castiel continued to ignore Melinda, stepping forward and speaking to Dean.

"You are our best hope, Dean."

Melinda was shaking her head, gripping Dean's hand as tightly as he was gripping hers. He shook his head.

"No. Hell no. Cas, you can't ask me to do this."

Uriel's smile was sinister as he stepped forward.

"Who said anything about asking?"

Melinda blinked, and she was alone. She looked around, then yelled.

"No! No, you can't do this to him! Not this!"

She kept turning around, searching, until she clenched her eyes shut.

"Damn it!"

Melinda laid her hands on her head, looking around the empty room as tears filled her eyes.


	28. Tell Me Sweet Little Lies

Melinda was frantic. She had called Bobby, who was on his way with Sam, who Melinda didn't doubt was bringing Ruby. Wyatt and Chris had shown up with the Book of Shadows, and Peyton had just arrived. Melinda was sitting in between Peyton and Chris, rocking back and forth, while Wyatt scryed for Dean. Wyatt sighed, and set down the crystal.

"Nothing."  
"I can't believe this. I just … I don't understand how this could happen."

Peyton sighed as she ran a hand through Melinda's hair.

"How could Castiel do this, Peyton?"   
"I don't know, honey. I just … I don't know."   
"We'll find him, Mel."

Melinda looked to Chris, and nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek. Bobby came walking in, and Melinda shook her head.

"How .. how are you here? Weren't you driving?"  
"I might have had something to do with that."

Wyatt and Chris spoke at the same time, and Melinda smiled. She nodded, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you."

Melinda turned back to Bobby.

"Where's Sam?"

Bobby sighed and shook his head, and Melinda did the same. Bobby walked over to Wyatt.

"What do we know?"

* * *

 

Dean looked through a window in what he could only think was an old warehouse. Alistair was strung up in the middle of what seemed to be a Star of David. Castiel walked up behind him.

"That Devil's Trap is old Enochian. He is completely bound."

Dean nodded his head.

"Fascinating. Where's the door?"  
"Where are you going?"

Dean didn't even turn around to answer Castiel's question.

"Hitch back to Chapel Hill, thank you very much!"

Dean turned back, and Uriel was in front of him.

"Angels are dying, boy."  
"Everybody's dying these days."

Dean had a sneer on his face. Anything to hide the overwhelming fear. Uriel crossed his arms, and Dean sighed.

"Look, I get it. You're all-powerful. You can make me do whatever you want. But you … You can't make me do this!"

Castiel's voice was gentle.

"I know this is too much to ask. But we have to ask it."

Dean and Castiel just stared at each other. Dean finally broke and turned to Uriel.

"I want to speak to Cas alone."

Uriel made some excuse, one Dean seriously didn't give a rat's ass about, and therefore did not listen to. And when Uriel was gone, Dean turned to Castiel.

"What the hell's going on, Cas? Since when does Uriel have a leash on you?"

Castiel sighed.

"My superiors have begun to question my sympathies. I was getting too close to the humans in my charge. You. And Melinda."

Dean's eyes grew wide.

"They feel I've begun to express emotions, which are the doorways to doubt. This can impair my judgment."

Dean shook his head as Castiel turned away from him. Dean followed, coming back to stand in front of the angel.

"Well, you tell Uriel … or whoever … You do not want me doing this. Trust me."

Castiel looked at Dean.

"Want it? No. But I've been told we need it."

Dean shook his head, turning to stare back through the window. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he fought them back. His voice was hoarse, scratchy. Hard and cold.

"You ask me to open that door and walk through it … I promise you, you will not like what walks back out."

Castiel looked down at the ground.

"For what it's worth… I would give anything not to have you do this."

Dean shut his eyes, then looked back through the window, straight into the eyes of hell.

Ones he still saw in his nightmares.

* * *

 

Sam walked up to a motel room, glanced around the corridor and the parking lot. He walked right up to room 29 and knocked three times. The door opened, and Ruby's dark eyes looked up at him.

"Wondered how long it'd take you to get here. Did you walk, Sasquatch?"

Sam just walked into the room, setting his bag down on a chair. He started spreading a map over the table, and Ruby sighed.

"You know, I'm not exactly dying to tangle with the angels again, Sam. I'm not entirely sure I see the problem here."

Sam sighed, and Ruby's dark eyes filled with an unholy glee.

"You know the wings have Alistair strung up six ways from Sunday? The way I see it, Dean cuts himself a slice, Al's reduced to a quivering heap, the good guys get the goods. We dance, we kiss, we schmooze, we carry on, we go home happy. All's well that ends well."

Ruby turned to him, setting a hand on her hip.

"What could be so wrong with that?"

Sam sighed.

"He can't do it."

Ruby nodded.

"Listen, I know you don't want him going all torture-master again, but—"  
"No, I mean he can't do it. Something happened to him in the pit, Ruby. He left a part of himself behind."   
"I'm not surprised by that at all. Hell does things to you, Sammy."

Sam shook his head.

"He can't get the job done. He's not strong enough."

Ruby nodded.

"And you are?"

Sam met her eyes and smiled.

"I will be."

Ruby's eyes grew wide, and Sam nodded at her. She smiled, walking over and pulling his face down for a long kiss.

* * *

 

Melinda flipped pages in the Book of Shadows, until she found the spell she was searching for. Peyton glanced over her shoulder.

"Good one."

Melinda nodded as the ingredients needed for the spell gathered and mixed in front of her. Chris and Wyatt came to look at the spell, and they sighed. Melinda walked to stand in the middle of the circle of candles.

"Don't stop searching, okay? If you get to him before I do, pull him out."

Everyone in the room nodded. Melinda let out a sigh, then looked at the Book. Peyton held it out for her, and Melinda read the incantation.

_"Wither my love,_   
_Wherever you be,_   
_Through time and space,_   
_Take my heart near to thee."_

Lights flashed and circled around Melinda, covering her up, then taking her away. Wyatt, Chris, and Bobby sighed as they walked back to what they were doing, and Peyton sighed as she closed the Book. She set it on the couch, and it opened, right back to the same spell. Peyton closed it again, but it opened right back up. Chris looked over to Peyton and shrugged his shoulders.

"Looks like a sign, cuz."

Peyton sighed.

"I can do this without a spell, Chris."   
"Well, maybe you should."   
"Maybe I will."

Chris laughed as Peyton shook her head. She turned away, going to check something, but her mind kept going back to the spell.

* * *

 

Sam stood back as Ruby settled the map on the table. She had a candle in her hand and she began chanting in Latin as she lit the corner of the map on fire. She closed her eyes as she continued to chant, and when she opened them again, they had blacked out. She said a few more words, and fire consumed the map. She looked, with those black eyes, to Sam and smiled.

"Relax, jumpy. The fire is our friend. Besides, the only part of this map that we need is the part that can tell us where Dean-o is."

She let the fire burn, for a few seconds more.

"Out."

The fire extinguished, leaving one little hole, a piece of the map completely untouched by the fire, while the rest of the map was a charred mess. Ruby, with normal eyes now, pointed to the clean piece.

"And that's where Dean is. Good thing angels aren't too worried about hiding their dirty business. Guess they're not used to being spied on. I mean, who'd be stupid enough to do that?"

Sam gave her a look, and she smiled.

"Besides us, of course."

Neither of them noticed the pink light that shined just outside the door. They didn't notice when the door silently opened just a crack. Sam looked back to the map, then let out a sigh.

"Ruby… It's been weeks."

She nodded, then met his eyes.

"I need it."   
"You don't seem very happy about it."

Sam walked closer to her.

"You think I want to do this? This is the last thing I want."

He walked over and took a seat on the bed. He looked down at his hands.

"I need to be strong enough. This is the only way."

Ruby walked over to him and ran a hand over his hair. She climbed in his lap, straddling his legs. She took in a deep breath, let it out.

"It's okay, Sam. You can have it."

A smile crossed his face, and Ruby leaned in to kiss him. She let her hand drift down, and the door opened. Ruby turned her head, glancing at the door, while Sam peeked around Ruby. Their faces fell, and Sam's lost all color.

"Peyton."   
"What the hell is going on here?"

Sam looked to Ruby, and she shrugged her shoulders. Sam let out a sigh.

"Peyton, I—"   
"What the hell were you just two talking about?"   
"You heard that?"   
"What th—Yes, I heard that! That's what you're worried about?!"

Sam sighed, and Ruby untangled herself from him. Peyton shook her head as tears glistened in her dark eyes.

"I knew it. I knew something was going on with the two of you, but I never … Are you on drugs?"

Sam's eyes widened, and Ruby snorted. Peyton threw up her hands.

"You know what? I don't want to know. You have been lying to me, Sam. And I …"

She just shook her head, dark curls bouncing by her face. She swallowed.

"You want to slum it with a demon slut, knock yourself out. You can both go to hell, for all I care."

Peyton disappeared, and Ruby let out a sigh. She had her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. Sam looked down, then met Ruby's eyes. Ruby smiled.

"See? Wasn't so hard."  
"She took it better than I thought."  
"That's what good witchcraft can do for you."

Sam nodded.

"So she's not hurting?"  
"Nope, I believe she skipped the angsty-depression phase and went right on to pissed off. I'd steer clear of her for a while, just to be on the safe side."

Sam sighed and nodded.

"Thanks, Ruby."

She smiled, walking closer to him, running her hands up and down his arms.

"No problem. Now… Where were we?"

Sam smiled, leaning down to cup her face in his hands and press his lips to hers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's episode "On the Head of a Pin."


	29. I'm Going Down

Melinda opened her eyes to see that she was standing in a warehouse of some sort. She looked around, then started walking down a hallway, stopping when a person stepped out at the end of the hall. The flowing red hair, the big, dark eyes. Melinda knew exactly who she was looking at.

"Anna?"

Anna smiled.

"Hello, Melinda."

They met in the middle of the hallway, and Melinda smiled.

"I thought … in the barn, you…"  
"My human body was destroyed. I had to call in a few favors. Sentimental, I guess."

Melinda nodded, and Anna looked down at the ground. Melinda took in a breath.

"Have you seen Dean?"

Anna shook her head.

"I tried to talk to Castiel, but he wouldn't hear me."  
"Are they close?"

Anna nodded, turning to point.

"At the end of this hallway."  
"Thank you, Anna."

Melinda started walking away.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Melinda?"

Melinda stopped, turning back to face Anna.

"What do you mean?"

Anna glanced at her hands, then back to Melinda.

"Can't you hear it?"

That's when Melinda heard the screaming, the agonized, pain-filled groans that radiated from the end of the hallway. Melinda's heart fell.

"I'm too late."  
"You can still walk away."

Melinda closed her eyes, feeling sick to her stomach as another scream permeated the hall. She looked back, meeting Anna's dark eyes.

"No, I can't. I love him, Anna. No matter what he does, I will always love him, and I will forever be on his side."  
"No matter what?"

Melinda smiled and nodded.

"No matter what."

She turned and took off running down the hall, and Anna sighed as she disappeared. The screams grew louder as Melinda reached the end of the hallway. She laid a hand to the door she arrived at, hearing the screams again, and she fought back the tears that threatened. Dean needed her to be strong. She tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. She tried opening it with her telekinesis, but still, nothing. Melinda rolled her shoulders, standing back and threw out her hands, and the door flew open. That exploding power sure did come in handy. Melinda walked through the doorway, stopping short when piercing blue eyes met hers.

"Cas?"

He stood up straighter, letting out a breath.

"You should not be here."  
"Yeah, I could say that about a couple of people now, couldn't I?"

Castiel looked down, and Melinda blew out her breath.

"Where is he?"

Castiel wouldn't meet her eyes, and a particularly harsh scream came under the door that was in the room. Melinda looked towards it, went to take a step, and Castiel was in front of her.

"Don't."

Melinda stared at him, and the angel actually faltered. He took a step back, as Melinda's blue eyes turned to ice.

"Don't you dare try and tell me what to do."

Castiel swallowed.

"You do not want to see what is behind that door. Dean made me promise when you got here, because he knew you would find him, that I would not let you see him like this."

Melinda shook her head, almost shaking with fury.

"He wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you. Did you know that, Cas? If anyone else had asked this of him, he would have told them to kiss his ass. But you… He's doing this for you. He's opening a door he swore he never would, and it's all for you."

Castiel looked at the ground, and Melinda shook her head. Melinda stepped closer, forcing the angel to look into her eyes.

"I swear to God, Cas. If anything happens to him, anything at all, I will never forgive you."  
"He is doing God's will."

Melinda took a step back, her mouth falling open.

"Are you … Seriously? Castiel, you can't tell me that you believe that."

She could see his face harden.

"Are you questioning the will of God?"  
"Absolutely not. I am simply saying that this?"

Melinda held out an arm as another scream filled the air. She turned to Castiel, shaking her head.

"What kind of god would ask this?"

She shook her head.

"The God that I know, the One that I pray to, wouldn't do this. He said He wouldn't ask more of us than we could bear, and this … This is too much, Cas. This can't be God's will, and I think you know that."

Castiel looked down, and Melinda could almost see the struggle. She let out a shaky breath.

"You're questioning it, aren't you, Cas? You don't … You don't believe it, either."

Castiel turned back, looking at Melinda. She shook her head, letting out shaking breaths.

"Cas, stop him! Pull him out of there!"

Castiel shook his head.

"I—I cannot do that. Who am I to question what God commands?"  
"What God would command this?! The kind, loving God that I've been taught about my entire life would not command the torture of anyone, let alone the bruising of the soul of the one doing the torturing. You know that as well as I do, Cas, and I would lay my hand on a stack of Bibles and say the exact same thing."

Castiel gripped the back of the chair as Alistair's voice sounded through the room. He was yelling, and the words he spoke made Melinda's heart absolutely stop.

"And it is written that the first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in Hell. As he breaks, so shall it break!"

Melinda turned to Castiel, a worried look on her face.

"Cas, what ... What is Alistair talking about?"

Castiel sighed.

"I think you know."

Melinda shook her head, blinking her eyes. She took a shaky breath, holding a hand to her now-pounding heart.

"The first seal ... The one that had to break before any others could..."  
"Would only be broken when a righteous man shed blood in Hell. When Dean began torturing souls, he broke that seal."

Tears filled Melinda's eyes as she shook her head. She let a hand come up to her mouth, then turned to Castiel.

"No. No, that can't ... No."

Castiel was staring at the ground, and wouldn't look at Melinda as he spoke.

"I'm afraid so. When we realized Lilith's plan for Dean, we laid siege to hell. We fought and fought to get to him before he …"  
"Kick-started the Apocalypse."

A single tear rolled down Melinda's cheek as Castiel shook his head.

"But we were too late."  
"And you pulled him out anyway?"

Castiel nodded, and looked over, meeting Melinda's eyes.

"It is not blame that sits with Dean, Melinda. It's fate."

She shook her head.

"What does that mean, Cas?"

He took a breath, and his piercing blue eyes locked on hers.

"The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it."

Melinda's mouth dropped open, and she went to speak, when she and Castiel heard a new sound from the room. They rushed to the door, Castiel pulling it open, to see Alistair holding a bruising and bloody Dean up by his throat, slowly cutting off his oxygen supply.

"Hey!"

Alistair turned back to see Melinda, and she threw out her hands. He dropped Dean and went flying backwards, hitting the wall. Melinda moved the salt around, locking Alistair behind a salt line.

"I am getting really sick and tired of you bastards not cooperating with my powers."

She flung a cup of Holy water at him, and Alistair screamed as it sank into his face. Melinda hurried over to Dean, kneeling beside him.

"Dean? Hey, can you hear me?"  
"Mel?"  
"I'm here, honey. Hold on. Wyatt!"  
"Not quite."

Melinda looked up, to see Alistair standing above her. She threw out her hands and he stumbled back, wheezing out a breath, then flung out his arm. She flew backwards, hitting the wall and falling. She looked to see Castiel literally hanging on a hook on a column, and she gasped as Alistair began to choke her. She looked back at the table of torture instruments, and moved the Holy water to hit Alistair in the back. He gasped as his flesh began to sizzle, then groaned as Ruby's knife sank into his shoulder, but tightened his grip on Melinda. Suddenly, Alistair went flying backwards, pinned against the wall. Melinda fell to the ground and bent over, coughing and gagging. Dean had lost consciousness by now, and Castiel could only watch as Sam stepped into the room, holding up a hand towards Alistair. His voice was deep and authoritative.

"Who's murdering the angels? How are they doing it?"

Alistair smiled.

"You think I'm going to tell you?"

Sam smiled back.

"Yeah. I think so."

Sam turned his hand, slowly making a fist. Alistair's eyes went white, and he began to choke. Melinda lifted her head, staring at Sam. Sam's voice was harder, louder.

"How are the demons killing angels?!"

Alistair coughed.

"I … don't … know!"

Sam sneered at him.

"Right."

Sam clenched his fist, and Alistair yelled in pain. Sam twisted his fist, and Alistair, choking and screaming in pain, answered his question.

"It's … not … us! We're … not … doing … it!"

Sam stared as Alistair groaned.

"I don't believe you."

Sam loosened his grip, just a bit, and Alistair gasped.

"Lilith is not behind this. You think she'd only kill seven angels?"

Alistair laughed.

"She'd kill hundreds. Thousands, if she only knew how."

Sam dropped his hand, and Alistair laughed and breathed hard. He was still pinned against the wall, and he looked over to Sam.

"Go ahead, Sammy. Send me back to the pit … if you can."

Sam smiled.

"I'm stronger than that now. Now, I can kill."

Castiel's gaze shot over to Sam, and Melinda's eyes grew wide. Sam put his hand back up, closing his eyes. Alistair began to choke again, as his eyes glazed over. He began to cough, gasping, making horrible, pain-filled noises. He began lighting up, the way dying demons did when they were stabbed with Ruby's knife. And all of a sudden, Alistair let out a scream that died out as he did. He fell to the ground, eyes wide and unblinking.

Sam glanced to Castiel, then back to Melinda, who stared at him. Sam shrugged at Castiel.

"You got your answer. Demon's aren't behind it."

Melinda hurried over to Dean, moving his face into her lap.

"Dean? Sweetheart, hey. Cas!"

Castiel and Sam looked over to her, and she looked up at them with wide eyes.

"Cas, help him."

Castiel looked at them, then to Sam. Sam shook his head.

"Cas, no."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Cas, it takes two seconds!"

And he was gone. Melinda shot frantic eyes to Sam, who knelt down beside them. Melinda stared up towards the ceiling.

"Wyatt! Chris, help!"

Sam shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. Melinda ran a hand over Dean's face.

"Sam, he's in really bad shape."

Sam nodded, and lifted Dean up in his arms.

"Come on. We need to hurry."


	30. Undo It

Melinda sat next to the bed, and let out a long breath. She ran her hands through her hair, cursing herself for not having a ponytail holder. She bent over, resting her elbows on the bed and looked up. Dean was laying there, sitting up, a tube down his throat to help him breathe. His face was bruised, cuts slicing across it. His eyes, his beautiful emerald green eyes, were closed, and had been since long before they'd pulled up at the Emergency Room. However, a steady beeping sound proved to Melinda that he was still there, still holding on, even though a handful of doctors told her he shouldn't be. She had just smiled, telling them that he'd promised he wouldn't leave her, and he knew she'd hold him to it.

She reached and took his hand, squeezing it before and after bringing it to her lips. She reached up and gently ran a hand through his hair, then across his cheek. He needed to shave, she thought with a smile. Even though she kind of liked the stubble on him. It only added to the bad-boy image he so effortlessly had. She let out a long, shaky sigh.

"I'm here, Dean. Just so you know."

She kept holding his hand, pulling it up to rub against her cheek. She gripped it, resting her forehead against it as she prayed, again, that he would wake up and be okay. Melinda opened her eyes at the gentle, quiet knock on the door, and smiled when Sam stepped inside. Sam walked over, coming to stand behind her, and ran a hand over her hair. He spoke quietly.

"How is he?"

Melinda shook her head.

"The same. No change."

Sam nodded, looking to the machines around the room. He let out a sigh.

"Mel, why don't you go get some coffee or something?"

She shook her head, staring at Dean's sleeping face.

"I want to be here when he wakes up."

Sam nodded, then moved to sit in the chair on the other side of Dean's bed. He sighed as he sat down, his thoughts all jumbled. He looked to his brother, trying to ignore the tubes, cuts, and bruises. If he could have gotten there just a minute sooner… He shook his head, looking across from him as Melinda rubbed her eyes. She took in a deep breath, letting it out. She had to have so many questions. He'd seen her face after Alistair had died. He'd tried to ignore it, and then with Dean so hurt… It wasn't the time nor the place for those questions now, though. So Sam watched the monitor, seeing the steady rise and fall of Dean's heartbeat. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and watched Melinda's face harden. Sam sat up, turning around to see Castiel standing behind him. Melinda got to her feet, and Sam followed. The door gently closed behind Castiel, who turned and looked at it, then looked to Melinda, who spoke quietly.

"Heal him, Cas."

Castiel shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I can't."  
"Heal him, or get the hell out."

Sam glanced down, then back to Castiel.

"Miracle, now."

Castiel looked up to Sam, who went on.

"He's lying here because you and Uriel can't keep a simple Devil's Trap!"  
"I don't know what happened. That trap should not have broken. I'm sorry."

Melinda laughed under her breath.

"You're sorry? This entire thing was pointless. Do you understand that? Demons aren't behind your angel deaths. Dean …"

She had to stop. She swallowed, glancing back at the bed, before fixing her gaze on Castiel.

"Dean is in that bed because he did what you asked of him. He put his heart, his soul, his life on the line for you, and it was all for nothing."

Castiel looked down.

"Perhaps Alistair was lying."  
"No. He wasn't."

Castiel locked eyes with Sam, while Melinda looked at the ground. She brought her face back up, locking blue eyes on Castiel.

"I told you that if anything happened to him …"

Castiel nodded, while tears filled Melinda's eyes.

"This is bad, Cas. I don't know how much you know, and frankly, I don't care. But I know enough to know that Dean is in a bad situation right now. He needed you to help him, and you … You couldn't take ten seconds to do that. You just left."

Castiel started to speak, then stopped when Melinda held up her hand.

"I don't care what your excuse is, Castiel. I don't give a damn. All I know is that anyone with half a heart would not have left the way that you did. After all he did for you, and you just leave him to die."

Sam sighed, and a tear rolled down Melinda's cheek. Her voice, though, was strong.

"I told you that if anything happened to him, I would never forgive you. And now he's lying in a hospital bed, and we're praying that he'll wake up. All of this could be solved with a touch of your hand, but I won't ask that of you. That's obviously asking too much."

Sam looked at Melinda as she stepped over, eyes glistening with tears, looking straight into the angel's eyes.

"I think you know that I've always been enamored with you. From the moment I first saw you, when you brought Dean back to me, I knew you were someone I could count on. Someone who would help me, and who I would be honored to help. But now? I am so disappointed in you, Castiel. You have let me down in ways that I never thought you would."

Tears were falling down her cheeks now, but she wouldn't back down.

"Get out."

Surprise crossed Sam's face, while something sparked in Castiel's eyes. Melinda kept on.

"Get out of this room, and do not come back. I don't care what happens. Lucifer himself can knock out heaven. We're not helping you anymore. I don't ever want to see your face again, Castiel. Go away, and don't you ever come back."

She turned her back on him then, going back over to her seat at Dean's bedside. She picked up his hand again, holding it as she closed her eyes. Castiel looked up at Sam, who just shook his head.

"I think she pretty much said it all, Cas."

Sam turned away then, and he and Melinda both tried to ignore the ache in their hearts when they heard the rustling of wings. They looked up, and he was gone. The tears rolled down Melinda's face, and Sam reached to grab her hand. She looked over to him and let out a quiet sob, as he smiled and nodded at her. They turned back to Dean, both letting out a sigh and settling in to wait.

* * *

 

Dean leaned up against the Impala, sunglasses perched on his face. The sun was warm on his skin, really too warm for the leather jacket he was wearing. He always wore it, though. He looked around, confused as to where he was. But with all the crap he was in with angels lately, he'd learned to stop asking questions. It was familiar, though, where he was. He just couldn't put his finger on why.

"Hey!"

He turned at the sound of the voice, a voice he'd notice anywhere, anytime. Sam stood in the doorway of a building, a smile on his face.

"You gonna stand out here all day? Get the lead out."

Sam turned and walked inside, while Dean glanced up at the awning above the door Sam had just walked through. He smiled. Charmed. He was at the café in San Francisco. Piper's café, where he'd busted his ass for a few weeks way back when he and Melinda first got together. Dean jogged across the street, walking into the café, slipping his sunglasses in his pocket and shrugging off his jacket. Piper walked by him, tapping him on the shoulder as he did, talking over her shoulder.

"Hey, they'll be here any minute. There's things in the kitchen I need you to grab. Ask Leo!"

Dean watched, confused, and realized that the café had transformed into some sort of … wonderland. A wonderland of cotton candy pink, so much Dean could almost feel his teeth rotting. Sam walked from the kitchen, whistling at Dean.

"Dean, what's wrong with you? Go see Leo. He might need your help."

Dean scratched his head and walked into the kitchen. Leo glanced back and smiled when he saw him.

"Hey, about time. Thought we were going to have to start without you."  
"Uh, Leo? What … What's going on here?"

Leo turned around, a smile on his face.

"Like you don't know."

Dean smiled.

"You got some, uh, frosting on your cheek."

Leo grinned, grabbing a napkin and wiping the bright pink icing off his face. He turned back and grabbed a tray that held a cake on top of it.

"Grab the other one for me, will you?"

Dean shook his head, but did as Leo asked, picking up the tray of bright pink-frosted cupcakes. He followed behind Leo, as everyone let out oohs and ahhs. Piper's smile seemed to light up the room.

"Oh, she's going to love it!"

Dean glanced to Sam, who smiled.

"She talking about Mel?"

Sam let out a laugh.

"Good one, Dean."

Sam turned and walked away, as Wyatt and Chris, along with two women Dean didn't recognize, orbed into the room. Chris smiled.

"They're on their way."

Piper's smile grew, and everyone gathered in the dining room. Phoebe and Coop appeared, as did Paris and some guy, and Phoenix, before Jenny orbed in with Abigail and Matt. Paige and Henry orbed in right as the door opened. Dean turned to the door and his mouth fell open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's "On the Head of a Pin."


	31. Come Wake Me Up

Melinda woke up slowly, taking in a deep breath as she did. She was wrapped up in Dean's jacket, and she slid it off as she sat up. Damn, that was an uncomfortable chair. Her back was aching, but she didn't care. She reached over, taking Dean's hand, then running a hand through his hair.

"Dean? Can you hear me?"

She stared at him, but he didn't respond to her. His eyes stayed shut, his hand was still. Melinda closed her eyes, running a hand through her hair and letting out a breath. She took his hand in between both of hers, holding it up to her cheek.

"Where are you, baby?"

* * *

 

Dean watched as Sam's face lit up as Peyton walked into the cafe. Dean just stared as Sam went over to her, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. Peyton giggled and Sam laid his hands on her obviously pregnant belly. Peyton turned shining eyes to Dean.

"I'm so glad you made it. They're coming in."

Dean couldn't take his eyes from Peyton, or from the rings he saw shining on hers and Sam's fingers. Dean looked down at his own hand, saw the ring there. The door jingled as it opened, and Dean turned there, his heart stopping in his chest. A little girl walked into the room, with her eyes covered by Melinda, who walked in right behind her. Melinda had a big smile on her face, letting out a sigh when she saw Dean. She winked at him, removing her hands from the little girl's eyes. Melinda brushed the blonde ringlets out of the little girl's face.

"Okay. Open your eyes."

As soon as the little girl did, everyone yelled

"Surprise!"

Her little face lit up, with her mouth going into a little "O". She turned back to Melinda with a smile on her face, and Melinda tapped her on the nose.

"Look over there."

The little girl followed to where Melinda was pointing, and her face lit up again with a gasping smile as she locked eyes with Dean.

"Daddy!"

She took off running, and he knelt down, opening his arms and catching her as she flung herself on him. She wrapped her little arms around his neck, squeezing with all of her might, and Dean couldn't help but hug her. Melinda stood up, laying her hands on her back with a little groan. Dean's eyes widened again, as he saw her belly, nearly matching Peyton's. The little girl in his arms pressed a kiss to his cheek, then moved back to cup his face in her little hands.

"I knew you'd come, Daddy. Because you promised."

He couldn't help but smile back at her, and she wiggled in his arms. He set her down, and she skipped over to Piper and Leo. Melinda walked over to him, taking hold of his shirt and pulling him to her, meeting his lips with hers.

"You had me worried there for a minute, Winchester."

He smiled, leaning his forehead against hers as she took hold of his hands, moving them to her belly. He drew in a sharp breath when he felt the baby move beneath their hands, and Melinda smiled.

"Someone's glad that Daddy's home."  
"Mama! Daddy, come see!"  
"Make that two someones."

Melinda kissed him again, then led him over to where the little girl was standing on a chair. She grinned up at Dean.

"Look, Daddy. Papa made me a birthday cake."

He smiled at the way she said "birfday."

"Looks like Papa did a good job."

She smiled and nodded, and Melinda sighed as a cupcake rose up, slowly floating towards them. She tossed up a hand and the cupcake froze. The little girl leaned back, looking at Melinda and sighing.

"Mama…"  
"Not until you wash your hands."

The little one sighed again, climbing off the chair and following Piper into the kitchen. Dean plucked the cupcake out of the air and looked to Melinda, whose sigh nearly matched her little girl's.

"Don't give me that look, Winchester."  
"It's just a cupcake, Mel."

Melinda shook her head.

"It is just ridiculous. Claire has had you wrapped around her finger ever since she came into this world. From the second you held her, you were a goner."  
"Claire?"

Dean said the word, smiling around it. Melinda looked to him with a funny look on her face.

"You okay?"

Dean glanced over with a smile.

"Yeah."

Melinda nodded.

"You're acting weird. Well, weirder than usual."

Dean smiled, slipping his hands in his pockets.

"It's just … Claire."  
"Dean, you're acting like you don't even know your own daughter. Are you sure you're okay?"  
"I'm fine, Mel."

Melinda turned around, and Claire froze mid-step. Melinda set her hands on her hips.

"Mary Claire Winchester, have you washed your hands with soap?"

Claire cocked her head to the side, looking so much like Dean it was scary.

"Think long and hard about your answer, little girl."

Claire sighed again, turning back to go through the doors. Melinda turned to Dean, who was blinking, trying to comprehend what he had just seen and heard.

"Mary Claire."

He didn't even realize he'd said it out loud, until Melinda stepped over to him, laying a hand on his forehead.

"Yes, Mary Claire. We named her after your mom, remember? Dean, what's going on? What happened?"

He just shook his head, holding tight to one of her hands. Claire and Piper walked out from the kitchen, and Claire held up her hands.

"All clean, I promise!"

Melinda chuckled.

"All right, then it's cupcake time."

Claire cheered and began humming as she went towards the cupcakes. Dean almost laughed out loud, when he realized that she was humming a Metallica song. Claire went to climb back up in the chair, then stopped. She looked up to the ceiling, cocking her head to the side. The room grew quiet, and everyone turned to look at Claire. Dean walked over and Claire turned to him. It was automatic, him lifting her into his arms while she wrapped a little arm around his neck. Melinda made her way to them, worried eyes on her little girl.

"Claire, do you need to put up your shield?"

Claire looked up for a little while longer, then shook her head.

"No, Mama. I think it's just Uncle Cas."

Dean's eyes widened again, and a rustling sound came from behind them. Dean tensed, turning around to put Claire behind him. And Castiel stood in front of them. Claire smiled.

"Hi, Uncle Cas."  
"Hello, Claire. Happy Birthday."

Claire smiled, and a cupcake floated over to them. She held out her hands and it landed in them, and she held it out to Castiel. He took it, smiling widely. Claire turned to Dean, and it was then that he noticed she had his eyes. Bright, nearly emerald green stared back into his.

"It's okay now, Daddy. We're okay."

Dean nodded, pulling her in to press a kiss to her forehead before setting her on the floor. Melinda rubbed his shoulder, then followed after Claire. Castiel walked over to Dean, who let out a sigh.

"It's not real, is it, Cas?"

Castiel sighed.

"No, it's not."

White-hot pain lanced through Dean's chest. He didn't fully comprehend how badly he wanted it to be real until that moment. Tears pricked the back of his eyes.

"I want it to be."  
"I know. It still can be."

Dean laughed.

"How?"

Castiel turned to face him.

"You have to stop it."  
"Stop what, Cas?"

Castiel just stared at him, so Dean went on.

"The Apocalypse?"

Castiel sighed, and Dean crossed his arms over his chest.

"Was Alistair telling the truth? Did I break the first seal?"

Castiel was watching Melinda, who was laughing as she wiped pink icing off Claire's little face.

"Yes."

Dean clenched his eyes shut, and a tear rolled down his face. Castiel went on, still watching Claire.

"When we realized what Lilith had been planning, what was about to happen, we laid siege to hell. We tried to get to you, but … We were too late."  
"Why didn't you just leave me there, then?"

Castiel sighed.

"It's not blame that falls on you, Dean. It's fate. The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it."

Dean looked at him, open-mouthed.

"What does that mean?"

Castiel shook his head.

"I don't know."  
"Bull!"

No one heard Dean's outburst. It was like he was standing back, watching it all unfold on a movie screen.

"Dean, they don't tell me much. All I know is that our fate rests in your hands."

Dean let out a laugh.

"Well then, you guys are screwed."

Castiel sighed, turning back to look at Dean, then back to watching. Claire laughed at something Sam said to her, tossing her little head back before bending over. Her curls bounced around her head, and Castiel smiled.

"She is destined to be, Dean."

Dean looked over to the angel, then back to Claire.

"She is?"

Castiel nodded.

"You and Melinda are destined to be her parents. We have big plans for her."  
"No. No, you leave her alone."

Castiel hid his smile this time. The girl didn't even exist, yet Dean was already so protective of her.

"It is God's will, Dean."  
"I don't care. You leave her alone. I can't – No. She doesn't need to be responsible for anything, or to play any part in anything at all."

Castiel stood still and silent, as another tear rolled down Dean's face.

"She's just a little girl. I can't … I can't be someone's father, Cas."  
"You're not John Winchester, Dean."

Dean looked over at him, and Castiel sighed.

"In this world, Claire just turned 4. Today. Soon, her mother will have a baby."  
"Just like me and Sammy."

Castiel nodded.

"And in six months …"

Dean closed his eyes.

"Nothing will happen."

Dean opened his eyes and turned to Castiel, who was facing him now.

"You and Melinda are not John and Mary Winchester. If you stop this, like you are destined to do, then you will go on, get married, and have this family. However, it's all in your hands. Yes, this is what should happen. But it's up to you to see that it does."

Dean shook his head.

"Cas, I don't understand."  
"You can do this, Dean. You can make this happen."

Dean shook his head again.

"I can't do this, Cas. It's too big!"  
"Look."

Castiel pointed, and Claire turned back, meeting Dean's eyes and smiling at him.

"She's depending on you."

Dean stared at the little girl, never noticing the angel laying two fingers on his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from Season 4's "On the Head of a Pin."


	32. Wake Up Call

Melinda and Sam had been sitting by Dean's bedside for nearly 48 hours. And he had been unconscious the entire time. Sam was losing hope, quickly, and Melinda had finally forced him out of the room, to the motel room he was sharing with Bobby. Melinda's family had stopped in, before she ran all of them off, too. She picked up Dean's hand, letting out a sigh.

"Something's going on with your brother, Dean. I mean, did you see what he did to Alistair? No, of course you didn't. He just … forced him out, Dean. He killed a very high-ranking demon using only his mind."

Melinda shook her head, looking up at Dean's face, wanting his green eyes to open.

_"Mel, you can't be serious."_

That's what he'd say. He was always so adamantly on Sam's side. No matter what, he stood by his brother. It was his job, ever since that night long ago, when his father had laid Baby Sammy in Dean's arms, telling him to run. And he hadn't stopped since. Melinda sighed, pushing her hair back out of her face. She looked over to Dean and smiled. His stubble was worse. She'd never noticed it before, because he usually shaved, but his beard had just a hint of red in it. She liked it.

"Maybe we won't shave it for a while, huh?"

Melinda leaned back in the chair, letting out a long sigh as she closed her eyes. They had taken the tube out of Dean's throat, and he was now able to breathe on his own. He still oxygen in his nose, but it was much better than that tube. His broken ribs were bandaged and healing quite nicely, so the only thing the doctors were really worried about was the head injury. Hell of a car wreck, they'd said. Melinda and Sam had just nodded. She sat back up, taking Dean's hand again.

"Hey, gorgeous. I know you're enjoying this free nap time, but I really need you to wake up, okay? I miss you. And I'm worried about you."

Melinda leaned up, pressing a kiss to Dean's forehead, then resting hers against it.

"I love you, Dean."

She let her hand come up to cup his cheek, rubbing her thumb gently across the bruise on his cheekbone.

"Love you, too."

Melinda took in a sharp breath and moved backwards, looking down at Dean. His eyes were still closed, but she swore that he'd spoken to her. She took a shaky breath.

"W—what? Dean, did you say something?"

He took a breath, and she watched him this time, as he repeated himself.

"I love you, Mel."

She let out a laugh, moving to hold her other hand on his face.

"Dean, open your eyes. Come on, baby. Look at me, babe."

He took in another breath, then opened his eyes, blinking a few times. A tear slid down Melinda's face, and Dean smiled.

"That's nice to … wake up to."

Melinda let out a laugh, tears sliding down her face. She moved to gently kiss his mouth, resting her forehead back on his when it was over.

"I was so scared, Dean."  
"I'm right here, baby."

His voice was so deep and a little hoarse, thanks to the medication he was still doped up on, and the tube that had been down his throat. Melinda called the doctor in, and he sent Dean for another head CT. While Dean was gone, Sam came running in. Melinda jumped up from her chair.

"He's okay, Sam."  
"He's awake?"  
"And talking."

Sam let out a breath and pulled Melinda into a hug. She laughed, hugging him back, and she sat back down to wait on Dean, while Sam paced the room. Melinda watched him, noticing that he certainly seemed jumpy. He went from biting his thumbnail to rubbing his hands together. He shook his neck out at least four times before Melinda spoke.

"Hey, Sam?"

He turned to her, glancing back at the door.

"Yeah?"  
"Is everything all right?"

Sam smiled.

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

Melinda nodded.

"You just seem a little antsy there, Sam."  
"I just want to see Dean. Make sure he's okay."

Melinda nodded again.

"Are you going to tell him?"

Sam stopped, with his back to her, and took a breath.

"Tell him what?"  
"Sam."

He glanced back, seeing Melinda's face. He let out a long sigh.

"He just woke up, Mel. Let him regroup for a while."  
"Sam, you exorcised a demon—no, you _killed_ a demon using only your mind. He needs to know about this. We need to decide what we're going to do."

Sam stopped, shaking his head.

"Excuse me? What we're going to do? We aren't going to do anything, Mel."  
"Sam, this is not good."

He let out a laugh.

"Says the witch with the powers."  
"Yeah, powers that I was born with."  
"So that makes them better?"

Melinda sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Sam, what you're doing is dangerous. Can't you see that? It isn't right. It's dark, and dark magic is not something you want to mess with. You know that, Sam."

He nodded, setting his hands on his hips.

"You done with the lecture, Mom?"

Melinda blinked her eyes.

"Wow. Okay."

She nodded her head, crossing her arms.

"Fine. Do what you want, Sam."

He let out a breath, feeling bad. He let a hand come up to rub the back of his neck and fought the urge to break out his phone and call Ruby. And at that moment, Dean was brought back. Melinda smiled, standing up and taking his hand. Dean glanced at his brother and smiled.

"Hey, Sammy."  
"Hey, Dean. How you feeling?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders.

"I've been better. I want to get the hell out of here and get a burger. You know how I feel about hospital food, Sammy."

Sam smiled and nodded. Unless it was covered in grease where you could almost smell a heart attack on it, Dean didn't want to eat it. Melinda stepped out to talk to the doctor, and Sam took the seat by Dean's bed. Dean let out a breath, clearing his throat.

"I know what happened, Sammy."

Sam's eyes grew wide, and he coughed.

"What, Dean?"

Dean rolled his green eyes.

"You know what. Castiel told me what happened to Alistair."

Sam closed his eyes and sighed.

"You've got to stop, Sam."  
"I have, Dean."  
"Yeah, that's what you told me before."  
"I mean it this time, Dean."

Dean stared at Sam, at the pleading expression on his face. He let out a sigh. He'd never been able to deny Sam anything. And Sam knew that, too. Dean nodded.

"All right. Okay. I'm holding you to it, Sammy."

Sam nodded, and Melinda walked back in the room. Sam nodded to her, gave Dean's shoulder a squeeze, and walked out. Dean let out a long breath, and Melinda walked over to him. He held up a hand and she took it, letting out a sigh. Because of the bond, and since Dean was too weak to bother blocking her out, she'd heard their conversation.

"Dean…"  
"He's lying."

Melinda nodded.

"I think he is."  
"What are we going to do, Mel?"

She shook her head, leaning down to kiss his cheek, then climbing into the bed beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from Season 4's "On the Head of a Pin."


	33. You're Not Sorry

Dean was released from the hospital the next day, all traces of his head injury unexplainably gone. Well, at least unexplainable for the doctors. Melinda felt she owed Castiel something. Maybe not an apology, because she had been right. He could have, and should have, healed Dean when he had the chance in the warehouse, instead of waiting until Dean was hanging on by a thread in the hospital. But Castiel wouldn't come when she called. And he didn't pop up on any of their hunts for the next two weeks. Anna did, to let them know that Lilith had now broken 49 seals.

Sam was acting like his old self, just a little secretive. Melinda had been furious with him when she'd heard from Peyton, and things between Melinda and Sam had nearly gone sour. They were silent around each other, putting Dean in a horrible place, stuck between the woman he loved, and his brother. A month after Dean was released from the hospital, after Christmas and New Year's, in the middle of January, they found themselves in Pennsylvania, at the messy, rundown home of one messy, unkempt man named Chuck Shurley.

Were they after a demon? No.

Ghost? Nope.

They had come to the conclusion, after reading a few of the Supernatural books Chuck had written, that he must be a psychic. His books told the stories, nearly verbatim, of Sam and Dean's adventures from the moment Dean picked Sam up from Stanford. Melinda was in the books, too. The whole reason they found Chuck was because of a phone call from Melinda's cousin Anna. Her Anna was a third grade teacher, and one of her students had brought a Supernatural book to school. Anna had discovered it, read some of it, and immediately called Melinda.

They weren't exactly right this time.

Chuck wasn't a psychic. Rather, he was a prophet. And the books he was writing would one day be known as the Winchester Gospel. Castiel appeared to Dean, letting him know that secret, along with another: Chuck had to be protected. As part of this protection, Chuck had an archangel tethered to him, so that when a threat appeared, the archangel would appear and dismiss said threat. Dean was able to use that information when Lilith appeared, trying to seduce Sam, and that was the most excitement they'd encountered in January.

Dean turned 32 on January 24th. They were at Bobby's for the weekend, and Melinda and Bobby cooked dinner and baked a birthday cake for him. Two weeks later, they were finishing up a simple salt-and-burn in northern Alabama. Dean had gone out to get their dinner, leaving Sam and Melinda alone in the motel room, hoping they could somehow talk whatever their deal was out. Sam walked out from the bathroom in his jeans, wiping a towel over his hair. Melinda sat on the table, swinging her legs off of it. They sighed when they saw each other.

"Can we talk?"

Sam sighed, sliding a t-shirt on.

"I don't know, Mel."

Melinda let out a long breath, looking down at her feet.

"It's been a month, Sam. We're driving Dean crazy, I know."

Sam sighed again as he sat down on the bed.

"Mel, I—"  
"Look, I know you're with Ruby now. I don't understand it, but… Sam, you have to know that she's—"  
"What? She's bad for me? She's bad news? What, Mel?"

Melinda shook her head and blew out her breath. Sam turned back to his bag, folding up clothes and stacking them in. Melinda looked down at the table, seeing Sam's flask beside his phone. She smiled as she shook her head.

"Sam, don't forget your—"

Her sentence was cut off when she picked up the flask, as a premonition gripped her senses. In a flash, it was over. Melinda dropped the flask, hopping off the table. She was shaking so hard. Sam had watched her, and took a tentative step towards her.

"Mel? Are you okay?"

She was shaking her head.

"No. No, it—it can't be true."  
"What, Mel? What did you see?"

She looked down at the flask, and Sam's eyes went flat. He dove for it at the same time she did, but she moved it out of his reach with her powers.

"Melinda, stop!"

She moved it high above both of them, screwing the top off.

"Don't do this, Mel."

A napkin landed on the table, and Sam could only watch as Melinda tilted the flask. She gasped as dark red liquid slowly came pouring out.

"Oh my god, Sam!"

He was almost panting, his eyes nearly wild. Melinda let the flask clatter to the ground as Sam stared at the pool on the table.

"That's ... It's not... You-Are you drinking demon blood?"

Sam looked to her, not noticing how the edges of his vision was tinted red. Oh, he was so mad now. He lifted shaking hands to run through his hair.

"Sam?"  
"Yes, Melinda. The demon blood makes me stronger."

Melinda trembled where she stood.

"You have to stop this. Don't you understand?"  
"Stop it, Mel."  
"No. You're going to kill yourself, and I'm not just going to stand back and watch you do it!"

He turned, and she could see the fire in his eyes, a sight she'd never seen before. Honestly, he looked terrifying.

"You don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Melinda laughed, and there wasn't an ounce of humor in it.

"You're right. I don't know what I'm talking about because I have never done this."  
"Because you're so above it? So much better than me?"  
"I never said that."  
"You didn't have to!"

She flinched at his yell, which was almost a roar. Sam turned from her, running his hands through his hair.

"You need to get the hell out of here, right now."  
"No."  
"Do not push me, Melinda."  
"Or what? You'll hurt me? Just like you did Pey—"

He turned to her again, the fire back in his eyes, and the words caught in her throat.

"Do not go there."

Okay, she was scared. She never thought she would be, not with him. This wasn't Sam, that was all she could think. Not the Sammy she knew and had grown to love. He was sick, and he needed help. Tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them back.

"You're breaking my heart."  
"Oh, don't."  
"I knew something was wrong, Sam. I … I can't keep this to myself. I have to tell Dean."  
"No, you won't."  
"Oh yes, I am. If you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to your brother."  
"Melinda, stop."

She shook her head as she walked for her phone. She knew he was getting agitated, because he was breathing hard now. He was shaking, and all she could think of was the Hulk. Unfortunately, she didn't realize just how accurate that was.

"Melinda, do not do this. Stop, now."  
"I can't. I'm sorry."  
"Damn it, I said no!"

Sam threw out his hand, and Melinda went flying. She didn't even really have a chance to register what was happening before she was flying through the air. She hit the wall, and felt her head crack against the mirror. She fell to the floor, where the breath was knocked out of her. He looked on in horror as she tried to move, but her arms wouldn't work. She coughed a few times, then collapsed on the floor. He saw blood begin to pool around her head, and he couldn't move. He was gasping, hot tears in his eyes. He put his hands up, running them through his hair, and did the only thing he could think of to do.

Sam ran.


	34. Stay

Dean had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he pulled into the motel parking lot. He left the food in the car, walking over to room 17. The door was cracked open, and Dean pulled his gun from the waistband of his pants as he gently pushed the door open. The gun slipped from his hands, clattering forgotten on the ground when Dean saw Melinda crumpled on the floor. He ran to her, taking her in his arms.

"Mel? Melinda, look at me! Mel? Oh my god."

Blood was seeping from her ear, and had pooled on the floor. Dean laid two fingers under her jaw, screaming for Wyatt, or Chris, or Castiel, anyone who would answer. Chris orbed into the room, his mouth falling open as he knelt beside Dean.

"What the hell happened?!"   
"I don't know. Heal her! Chris, hurry!"

Chris fought back tears as he held his shaking hands over his sister. Dean glanced back, seeing the shattered mirror up on the wall, and the broken glass on the floor. There was blood on a napkin on the table, near Sam's flask. Oh, God. Where was Sam? Dean was breathing hard, and looked down into his arms as Chris continued to heal Melinda.

"What the hell's taking so damn long?"

Chris shook his head.

"I don't know, man. Something bad must've happened."  
"You think?"

Dean let out a sigh of relief as Melinda took in a deep breath. She sighed, moving closer to him.

"Mel? Hey, open your eyes for me. Melinda. Baby?"

Dean looked to Chris, who was shaking his head.

"I don't understand. She's healed."

Dean's breathing sped up, and Peyton and Leo appeared in the room. Peyton hit her knees, taking Melinda's hand, as tears coursed down her face. Leo sighed as he knelt by Chris, who shot big brown eyes to his father.

"Dad, what's wrong? I healed her. She's fine."   
"Why isn't she awake?"

Leo reached a hand over, touching Melinda's face, and she sighed as she leaned into it. Leo nodded.

"When she was little, she did this a few times. If she got badly hurt, she could be healed, but she'd end up sleeping for a long time. When she'd wake up, she wouldn't remember what had happened to her."  
"I think I remember that. Or when it happened once. When she fell off the monkey bars?"

Leo nodded to Peyton. Leo looked to Dean, who shook his head. Leo laid a hand on Dean's shoulder, and Dean looked up at him.

"Let's take her home, son. We can watch her, and let her rest, and she'll be fine. I promise."

Dean nodded, dropping the keys to the Impala on the table, just in case Sam came back. And he prayed, for the first time in a long time, that Sam would return, and be just fine.

* * *

 

In the woods, Sam stopped running when he couldn't breathe anymore. He put his hands on his head, walking around, then stopped, bending over as he threw up everything in his stomach. Ruby poked her head out from behind a tree.

"Sam?"

He was crying, sobbing, and he hit his knees. Ruby came over to him, taking him in her arms. He gripped her, holding her tight.

"I killed her! Ruby, I—I killed her."

He was nearly hysterical by now.

"Who? Sam, what the hell are you talking about?"

Sam cried, shaking his head as he held onto Ruby. Ruby let out a breath.

"Sam, come on. Get a grip. Now, tell me. What the hell happened?"

Sam took in big gulps of air, trying not to be sick again. He shook his head again, took a breath.

"M … Melinda. I killed her, Ruby."   
"You what?"

Ruby backed away from him. Sam squeezed his eyes shut.

"She figured it out. Had a premonition and found your blood in my flask. I … I got so mad, Ruby. I didn't mean to. I didn't know what I was doing. I—I sent her flying, and she …"

He shook his head, gripping his arms around his stomach.

"She fell, and she wasn't moving. She—she started bleeding, out of her ears, and I—I … I just … I left."

Ruby nodded, standing up as she began to pace. She turned to Sam and he jumped when she began yelling at him.

"You stupid son of a bitch! Of all the people in the world, you go and kill her?! A Halliwell?! Her entire family is going to rip hell a new one trying to find the bastard who took down their precious baby girl."

She let out a laugh, one without a stitch of humor in it.

"Not a single demon wants to go up against them. The Charmed Ones? We know how dangerous they can be. And not a single demon is going to waste a single second selling you out, Sam. You've screwed the pooch so, so badly here."

Sam sighed, looking up to her.

"Ruby, I—"  
"I don't think I can help you anymore, Sam. I can't risk going up against the Halliwells."  
"Ruby."

He got to his feet, a bewildered look on his face.

"Ruby, you can't leave me now."  
"I can't go with you. I can't harbor a fugitive, Sam, and that's exactly what you are now. Every demonic Tom, Dick, and Harry will be gunning for you, and they won't think twice about taking me out. They all know about my association with you and your brother, so I'm now Public Enemy Number 1. I'm sorry, Sam."

Sam shook his head.

"No, no. No, Ruby, you—you can't do that. Listen to me."

He reached out, taking hold of her arms.

"We can still get Lilith."   
"Sam, you have got such bigger problems right now!"  
"Let's … let's just take care of Lilith, then I'll tell them. I'll turn myself in."

Ruby shook her head.

"Sam, I can't."  
"Yes, you can! Ruby, please."

She sighed, then looked him straight in the eyes.

"If anyone comes near me, if I hear anything about anyone sniffing around, I'm out. Listen to me, Sam, and listen good. I'm looking out for number one here."

Sam sighed, but nodded his head.

"I don't blame you."

Ruby blew out her breath.

"Come on. Let's get you back. We can make up a cover on the way."

They made it back to the hotel room, which was empty. And strangely clean. Sam looked around, confused, as Ruby walked through the entire room, stopping when she saw the table.

"Heads up."

She tossed the keys to Sam, and he lifted his phone from where he'd left it. New voicemail from Dean. He pressed play, having the phone on speaker for Ruby to listen in.

_"Sammy, it's me. Where the hell are you? Please be okay. If by some miracle you get this, come to the Manor. Something got Mel bad, and I … Please don't let it have gotten you too, Sammy."_

Ruby turned to Sam with a smile on her face.

"They don't know. You're safe."

His face was confused, until Ruby laid her hands on it, pulling him in for a kiss.

"They think some dumbass demon came in and got the upper hand on Wondergirl. We can work with this, Sammy. It's okay. It's all going to be okay."

Her smile was infectious, and Sam grinned as he pulled her in to kiss her, falling back onto the bed with her.

* * *

 

Melinda slept for nearly 24 hours. Peyton had brought them all back to the Manor, and Dean carried Melinda up to her bedroom. He stayed by her side the entire time, climbing into the bed and holding her when he finally gave out. He woke up to a quiet whimpering. He shook his head, yawning, hearing it again.

"Mel?"

She gave a little moan, and Dean sat up in the bed.

"Hey, hey. Mel? Baby, wake up."   
"Shh."

He laid a hand on her cheek, and she flinched. He whispered.

"What is it, baby?"   
"My head, Dean. It hurts so bad."  
"Hang on, baby."

Melinda whimpered again as Dean crawled out of bed and ran downstairs to Leo. He found him in the kitchen, sitting at the table with Piper.

"She's awake!"

Leo and Piper jumped up, making their way to her, but Dean stopped them.

"Her head. She said her head hurts."

Piper nodded as Leo turned to grab a few things. They hurried back up the stairs, where Melinda was laying with her face in the pillow. Piper hurried to shut the curtains, putting the room in darkness. Melinda let out a sigh of relief and rolled back over. Dean climbed back in the bed as Leo took Melinda's hand.

"Sweetheart?"   
"Daddy?"

Leo smiled.

"Yeah, baby. It's me."   
"Wh … Where am I?"   
"You're at the Manor, honey."  
"Mama?"

Piper walked over, just barely running gentle fingers over Melinda's forehead.

"You're safe, my love. We're right here."  
"Dean?"  
"I'm here, baby. Right here."

He moved behind her, spooning her up against his chest. She nodded, and her face scrunched up as she started to cry.

"My head hurts so bad."  
"I know, honey. Can you sit up for me?"   
"I don't think so. Dad, it hurts."  
"I know, baby. I know."

Dean shot worried eyes to Leo, and Piper moved to touch Dean's shoulder. Leo looked back to Dean.

"From what we saw in the room, she must have smashed her head on that mirror. And when she was bleeding from her ears … Well, it's no wonder her head hurts."   
"But Chris healed her."

Leo nodded.

"I don't know why, but… She's still feeling the effects."  
"Then maybe it wasn't a demon who hurt her?"

Leo and Dean looked over to Piper, then exchanged a glance. Leo sighed.

"Maybe it wasn't."

Melinda moaned again, and Leo looked to Dean.

"Get behind her, help her sit up."

Dean nodded, and did as he asked. Melinda cried out as he moved her, but she went along with it as best she could. And Piper was there with a bowl when Melinda was sick. Leo sighed, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. Dean held Melinda's hair back, the whole time watching Leo.

"Leo?"   
"I think we need to take her to the hospital. If this is a concussion, which I'm pretty sure it is, it's a bad one."

Dean nodded.

"Let's go, then."


	35. Should've Said No

Melinda was released from the hospital two days later. During that time, Sam showed up, and Dean had hugged him for a good five minutes before Sam finally convinced him that he was fine. He'd gone out for a run, not knowing anything about any demon attacking, and came back after Dean had showed up. Melinda was cranky, had been hooked up to an IV, and on multiple medications, none of which seemed to touch the headache from hell. She had no clue of what had happened to her. Her last memory was of the hunt they'd been on, and then she'd woken up in her bedroom at home, with Jason Voorhees driving his machete into her skull. Well, at least, that's what it had felt like.

Peyton and Sam managed to be civil around each other. Sam got this look in his eyes whenever he saw Peyton, when he watched her when he thought no one was looking. A sorrowful, regretful look. Melinda wanted to ask him about it, but things felt weird between them. She couldn't figure out why, though.

Dean fell easily back into the "normal" routine at the Manor. Waking up with Melinda, making sure she was all right (every freakin' morning, which drove her absolutely insane, by the way), having a warm, home-cooked breakfast, then working in the garage with Leo until it was time for a warm, home-cooked dinner. Bobby would call, but Dean would ignore it. Melinda watched him constantly, taking it so easy she barely got out of bed, and letting her mother, her aunts, and Peyton fuss over her.

Three weeks after what became known as "The Incident," they had positively no leads on who attacked Melinda. They hadn't heard from the angels, and Ruby didn't have any information, either. The strangest thing happened there, though. Whenever Ruby would come around, Melinda's head would start to ache again. She was fine, healed from the concussion—save for the amnesia from The Incident—but every time the demon came around, Melinda would get an almost full-fledged migraine. And it would disappear as soon as Ruby did.

It was the beginning of March, and Melinda was stir-crazy. She was sick to death of not being able to do anything, and if one more person asked her how she was feeling, she would actually let them know. Bobby had called six times in the past two days, and Dean answered two of those calls, ignoring the others. Sam had answered though, and after getting his ass thoroughly chewed out, not to mention still nursing the black eye Coop had given him, Bobby had given him some information on a possible seal-breaking in Modesto. An hour and a half away, and Sam went by himself. Dean had kissed her forehead, saying Sam was a big boy, he could handle this, and besides, Ruby was going with him. Yeah, Melinda knew that. The loud, cymbal-banging marching band around her temple clued her in. Dean walked to the garage, whistling, for Christ's sake, and Melinda turned to face her mother.

"That is it. I have had it, and I can't take it anymore. Where's Phoebe?"

Piper simply blinked at Melinda, who closed her eyes and let out a breath before letting out a shrill whistle.

"Peyton Penelope Halliwell, get here now, and bring your mother. Aunt Paige, you come too!"

Piper set the last dish in the drying rack, pulling her apron off.

"Mel, you got something you want to share with the class?"  
"Oh, you bet."

Peyton and Phoebe appeared in the room, and Paige orbed in after them. Phoebe and Paige shot a glance to Piper, who shrugged her shoulders. Peyton stepped towards Melinda.

"Mel, what's going on?"

Melinda looked at her, setting her hands on her hips.

"I have had enough. I am so sick and tired of everyone walking on eggshells around me. I let you, at first, because I felt bad and you all were being so nice. Well, it's been three weeks. Almost a month, and I just can't take it anymore. So, we are going to do whatever it is we need to do to figure out what happened to me that night, so I can get on with my life before Dean turns into some damn Stepford wife or something."

The women in the kitchen just blinked at her, until she blew out her breath.

"Attic, people! Let's go. Move it or lose it."

She turned and left the room, and the girls in the kitchen shared a sigh.

"This can't end well, can it?"

Piper turned to her baby sister.

"No, Paige, I don't think it can."

Phoebe patted Peyton on the shoulder.

"Well, you heard the girl. Let's move it."

Up in the attic, Melinda sat in the middle of a rug, colored candles all around her. Peyton was sitting in front of her, also on the rug, while Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were gathered around the edges. Paige crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are we sure this is going to work?"

Piper and Phoebe shared a sigh, while Peyton and Melinda smiled. Piper nodded her head.

"Yes, Paige."  
"It's just that, well… The last time we used this spell we actually went back in time. Like physically."  
"Yeah, to save Wyatt from the Cleaners. This time they're just going for a … a, uh… Little help here, Pheebs."

Phoebe smiled.

"A bird's eye view, if you will. That's why we used the different candles this time. Kind of the same way I went to see Cole that time, in the Wasteland? They'll stay here, but they'll be able to watch and see what happened."

Paige sighed, but nodded.

"Okay. I hope you're right."  
"Have a little faith, Aunt Paige."

Paige smiled, then held out her hands. Piper and Phoebe did the same, and the sisters linked hands. Piper looked down at Melinda and Peyton.

"You'll be able to talk, and we'll be able to hear you, so if you need to come back, just say so. Or just open your eyes. Okay?"

The girls nodded, closing their eyes and linking hands inside the circle. Piper sighed, then looked to Phoebe, who nodded, and Paige, who nodded also. Piper nodded, and they recited the spell.

_"Moments lost make witches wonder,_  
Warlock's plot or demons plunder?  
If this is not a prank,  
Help them to fill in the blanks." 

Melinda and Peyton gasped, tightening their grip on each other. They opened their eyes to find themselves in a motel room, one that seemed vaguely familiar to Melinda. She let go of Peyton's hands and walked around the room, touching different items there.

"Mel?"

Melinda turned back.

"I remember this. It's … familiar, for some reason."  
"Well, we've been to at least hundred rooms just like it."

Melinda shook her head.

"No, this one is … It's new."

Peyton stood back, letting Melinda get the feel of the room. Melinda turned back to Peyton.

"We're in Alabama, aren't we?"

Peyton looked around, found a phone book tossed onto the table.

"Yep. A little town outside of Huntsville."

Melinda nodded and swallowed.

"This is where it happened."

The door opened and Melinda walked in. Peyton's eyes grew wide as the other Melinda walked back beside her.

"Whoa, that's weird."

They watched her go towards the bathroom, putting her ear near the door. That was when they noticed the shower was running. The other Melinda sighed and walked over to the table near the window, hopping up on it. She swung her legs off the side, waiting. Peyton turned to watch her Melinda, who was staring at her past self.

"Mel, what's going on?"

Peyton spoke low, even though the other Melinda couldn't hear her. Her Melinda took in a breath.

"Sam's in the shower. We … we need to talk, to figure out what's up with us."  
"Something's up?"  
"You've noticed it, haven't you?"

Peyton nodded.

"Things have seemed pretty weird between you two. But I've got a major block on Sam. I don't want to feel a thing around him, so…"

Melinda nodded this time.

"I understand."

The bathroom door swung open, and out stepped Sam, wearing only his jeans and rubbing a towel on his head. Peyton stopped, letting out a breath when she saw him. Melinda sighed beside her, while the Melinda on the table began talking. Peyton turned to listen, then stopped as she watched her Melinda.

"Mel?"

Melinda shook her head, looking around.

"Mel, what? What is it?"

Melinda shook her head again, turning to Peyton.

"No demon comes in here."

Peyton's eyes narrowed as she shook her head.

"Mel, there has to be. It doesn't make any sense. I mean, that would mean that—"

Peyton was cut off when both of the Melindas gasped. The one on the table hopped off of it, while Peyton took hold of the other.

"Mel, hey. Hey, what was it? What did you see?"

Melinda's eyes were wide and full of tears as she turned to watch the scene unfold. Peyton followed her gaze, saw the struggle between Melinda and Sam as she moved the flask away from him, unscrewing it and pouring it out. Peyton's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open as she stepped closer to the table.

"What the hell is—"  
"Sam's drinking demon blood. It makes him stronger."

Peyton was shaking.

"No, no this… This can't be happening."

They jumped when Sam roared at Melinda, and Peyton turned tear-filled eyes to her cousin.

"How could this happen?"  
"Peyton, stop. Look."

Peyton stepped back, over beside Melinda, and they watched in horror as Sam threw out his hand, sending Melinda flying across the room. They watched as she hit the mirror, then fell to the ground, trying to get up before passing out. They saw the tears on Sam's face, heard his sharp intake of breath, before he pushed open the door and ran. Melinda's face fell and she began to sob, and Peyton matched her. They fell to the ground, holding on to each other.

"Melinda! Come on, open your eyes."  
"Peyton! Peyton can you hear me?"  
"Come on, girls. Open your eyes!"

They finally did, with Piper and Phoebe breathing sighs of relief, holding their daughters close. Piper ran her hand through Melinda's hair.

"What is it, baby? What did you see?"

Melinda just shook her head and moved closer to her mother.

"I'm right here, sweetheart. You're all right. Everything's all right."  
"No!"

They turned to look at Peyton.

"No, it's … It's not all right! It will never, ever be all right again!"  
"Peyton, sweetheart. What—"  
"Sam. Sam hurt her, Mom."

Three blank faces stared back at her, while Melinda wept. Tears rolled down Peyton's cheeks.

"Sam is the demon who hurt Melinda. He's turned into a monster."


	36. Don't Tell Me That It's Over

Peyton and Melinda sat at the kitchen table, holding cups of tea laced with a healthy dollop of whiskey from Piper. Paige and Phoebe sat by the girls at the table, waiting on Piper to get back inside with Leo and Dean. Piper walked in, sighing.

"They're going to get cleaned up, then they'll be back."

Melinda nodded, while Peyton just stared into her cup. Phoebe reached over and patted Peyton's hand.

"Honey, please."  
"Just block me, Mom."  
"Honey."

Peyton shook her head and turned up her cup. She slid it towards Piper, who smiled gently at her.

"Could we just forgo the tea this time, Aunt Piper?"

Piper smiled and nodded, looking over to Paige, who orbed the bottle over to the table. Melinda sighed.

"I think that what he did—"  
"Mel, don't."  
"It was to protect you, Peyton."  
"Don't give me that bullshit, Mel."

Phoebe sighed as Peyton shook her head.

"How long has this been going on? Can you tell me that?"

Melinda looked down at her cup, and Peyton's mouth hung open.

"Oh my God, you know, don't you? You know exactly how long this has been going on."  
"I saw it in my premonition."

Peyton shook her head again, taking the cup of whiskey from Piper and downing it. Phoebe sighed.

"Honey…"  
"Mom, don't!"

Peyton put her head in her hands as Dean and Leo walked back into the room. They could take the fastest showers, Leo, from his time in the Army, and Dean, from growing up as the son of a former Marine. The women moved around to let Dean sit beside Melinda, while Leo stood behind Piper. Peyton kept her head in her hands and Piper poured her another shot. Melinda wouldn't look at Dean, who glanced from her to Peyton, then back at Piper and Leo. Leo sighed.

"Piper told us what you all did. What, uh… What did you see?"

They were quiet for a minute, and Peyton took a sip of her whiskey. Melinda let out a shaky breath.

"It was bad, Daddy."  
"Did you see what happened to you?"

Melinda nodded, feeling Dean tense up beside her.

"Who was it, Mel? Tell me, so I can make the son of a bitch suffer."

Tears welled up in Melinda's eyes.

"It w—It wasn't a demon."  
"Who was it, Mel?"

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. Peyton took another sip while Dean looked around the table.

"Melinda, talk to me."  
"I don't want to."

Her voice was full of tears, and Dean felt something in the pit of his stomach. He reached over, laying a hand across Melinda's lap, gripping the leg away from him.

"Honey. Mel, look at me."

She shook her head.

"I—I can't. Dean, I can't … I can't tell you this."

Tears slid down her cheeks, some of them falling onto his hand. He looked to Peyton, who pillowed her arms on the table and laid her head on them. Dean laid his arm across the back of Melinda's chair, pulling her closer to him, surrounding her with his arms.

"You can, Mel. You can tell me anything."

She looked at him then, and the look on her face was one he'd never seen before. Sorrow and regret, something close to absolute devastation colored her beautiful features. Paige was staring at the table, and Piper was too, holding tight to Leo's hand. Phoebe was sitting by Peyton, with her head on Peyton's back. Dean let out a shaky breath. He could very easily just slide into Melinda's mind and see exactly what she'd seen. What she'd lived. But he couldn't make himself do it. He shook his head, closed his eyes. He brought his gaze back to her and wiped a tear from her face.

"I need to hear you say it, Mel."

Melinda closed her eyes as she reached over and gripped his hand, then met his eyes.

"Dean, the night of … The Incident, I went to talk to Sam, like we decided, while you went to go get the food."

Dean nodded, gripping her hand just as tightly. She exhaled shakily, feeling Dean gently playing with the ends of her hair.

"He'd left his flask on the table, and I went to hand it to him. I got a premonition from it."  
"What was it, baby? What did you see?"

Melinda took in a breath.

"When you …"

She gripped his hand tighter, closing her eyes.

"When you died, and went to hell, Sam was in a bad place. You know that, right?"

Dean looked down, shaking his head.

"We, uh … We didn't talk about it."

Melinda nodded and slowly blew out her breath.

"He kind of had a death wish, I think. Attacking Crossroads demons, gunning for Lilith. Ruby found him, eased him back into the sunshine, so to speak. And she helped him discover his talents."  
"What talents?"

Melinda sighed, and Peyton lifted her head, running her hands through the riotous curls on her head.

"His psychic … whatever."

Dean looked over to Peyton, who downed the last of her whiskey, then reached for the bottle. Melinda raised a hand, sliding the bottle out of Peyton's reach. Leo grabbed it then, setting it on the counter behind him. Peyton glared at Melinda.

"What'd you do that for?"  
"Because you get mean when you get whiskey drunk."  
"Whatever."

Peyton laid her head back down, and Melinda sighed again. She was running her fingers over Dean's hand on her leg. He leaned over, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Go on, baby."

Melinda nodded, still tracing his fingers.

"With all the free time, Ruby and Sam could focus on his … whatever, and they were able to hone it. You know about that, right?"

Dean nodded.

"I caught him once. He just held out a hand, and exorcised the demon. He tried to justify it. Telling me that he was saving people. I said the same thing could happen with Ruby's knife, but he insisted that his way was better, because the person possessed could live."

Melinda nodded, and Dean let out a sigh.

"He told me he'd stop. And he did."

Melinda let out a quiet laugh, and she shook her head.

"He didn't stop, baby. He just learned how to hide it."

Dean looked down, and Melinda could feel his mind start to race. She leaned over, pulling his head to her, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"He hid it from all of us, Dean. I've got to hand that to him. It took some skill, keeping all of us completely in the dark."

Peyton let out a laugh, one that struck Melinda right in her heart. Phoebe turned away from Peyton, letting out a sharp breath and grasping one of Paige's hands. Melinda kept on.

"I tried to talk to him about it when you were in the hospital."

Dean nodded, and Melinda shook her head.

"He wouldn't talk. He got so defensive, and he kind of lashed out at me."  
"I confronted him right after that. He told me he'd stop. He promised."  
"He lied. Just another thing to add to the list, I guess."  
"Peyton."

She shook her head, her face falling as a tear rolled down her cheek. Melinda reached out a hand, but Peyton wouldn't take it. Melinda swallowed.

"We let it be, for a good little while. And then I decided I needed to talk to him. I was getting nowhere, and he was packing up, so I grabbed the flask to hand it to him. I saw Sam, with Ruby, practicing his exorcisms. It started about two months after Dean went to hell. And then I saw something else. Something I couldn't believe. Something I knew just couldn't be true."  
"What was it, Mel?"

Melinda looked to her father, rubbing one of her hands across her lips. Her voice shook as she spoke.

"Ruby had a knife. She dragged it across her arm."

Melinda absently did the motions as she spoke. She had to take a deep breath, then she went on.

"And Sam…"

Melinda shook her head, muttering "No" over and over again. Leo sighed, running a hand through his hair. Dean swallowed, then squeezed Melinda's leg.

"What, Mel? What did he do?"

She closed her eyes, then looked directly at Dean.

"He licked up the blood that dripped from the cut. And then he put his mouth on it. He was drinking her blood, Dean. Like he was a vampire or something."

Dean froze, his green eyes going wide. Melinda let out a breath and Dean backed away from her, just a bit. She hid from him how much that stung and he shook his head.

"That's not … No. No, Mel. Sam—Sammy wouldn't do that."

She nodded at Dean, looking down at the table, setting her hands on it and watching them.

"That's what I thought, too, but there were so many different scenes of that same thing that I saw. Ruby bleeding, and Sam ..."

Melinda shook her head.

"I didn't want to believe it, so I went to see what was in the flask. And Sam dove for it, tried everything he could to get it away from me. I wouldn't let him, though. I moved it where he couldn't reach it. I unscrewed the cap, while he was begging me not to. And I poured just a little bit out of it, and it was thick, dark red blood."

A tear rolled down Melinda's face, and she ran a hand across her forehead. Dean was breathing hard beside her, and Leo was shaking his head. Melinda had to take a few deep breaths before she continued.

"He didn't try to deny it. I thought he might try to justify it, but he just pushed it on me, saying I didn't know what I was talking about, and he got so defensive. He wouldn't listen to me, and I said I was going to call you, Dean. And he … He lost it."

Melinda's eyes went to the middle of the table, and she spoke, almost as if she wasn't really there.

"I don't remember what happened. When I saw it again, it still wasn't clear to me. I remember going for my phone, and then I was flying. I remember hitting … something, and falling. Then it's just black."

Dean looked over at her, as she shook her head, still staring off at nothing.

"Say it, Melinda. I need to hear you say it."

She licked her lips, and a tear fell down her cheek.

"When I went to get my phone, Sam told me not to. I did anyway, and he threw out his arm. I went flying through the air, cracked my head on the mirror, fell and passed out. And Sam took off."

Melinda's chin trembled as tears slid down her cheeks.

"He threw me across the room, and then he just left me there."

She let out quiet sobs, raising a hand to cover her mouth. Peyton stood up and left the room in a hurry, and Phoebe followed her. Leo sighed, running a hand over his face. Piper turned to looked at him, after watching Dean, who was just staring at his hands. She spoke softly.

"Leo, what can they do?"

Leo shook his head. Dean stood up, walking out of the room, and Melinda sobbed into her hand. Piper sighed as she went around the table, taking Melinda in her arms. Leo stood up, walking after Dean.


	37. Addicted

Leo found Dean outside, sitting on the ground by the Impala, with his head in his hands. Leo sighed, and Dean looked up at him, then shook his head. Leo crossed his arms and leaned up against the car, close to Dean.

"I don't get it, Leo."   
"I know, son."  
"How could this have happened?"

Leo shook his head as Dean blew out his breath.

"I should have seen it."  
"Stop."

Dean looked up at Leo, who smiled.

"It's not your fault, Dean. Don't blame yourself."   
"My brother is drinking demon blood."  
"Nowhere in that sentence did I hear anything that places blame on you. It's not your fault. You weren't even here when it started."

Dean nodded.

"I'm the reason it started."

Leo sighed, letting his arms fall.

"Dean, this… This was Sam's choice. Maybe he felt like he had no other option. Maybe Ruby tricked him. I—I don't know."

Leo took in a deep breath, then let it out.

"What I do know is that you need to find out without a shadow of a doubt that he's truly stopped drinking the demon blood. If he hasn't…"   
"What's it like, Leo?"

Leo looked down, but Dean was glancing out across the garage, his arms resting on his drawn-up knees. Dean cleared his throat.

"The … the blood, I mean. Why would he drink it?"

Leo sighed, crossing his arms back over his chest.

"Demon blood is like a drug. It's sweet, very addictive. And that's just for … well, for lack of a better word, someone "normal." For someone like Sam, who already has demon blood inside of him… It's like coming home. Something he's been missing all along, but hasn't realized it. In all actuality, one taste of that blood, Sam was probably hooked. And because he's already got the blood in his system, drinking it makes him stronger. Sharper. Have you noticed anything different about him when he's hunting?"

Dean nodded, still looking out, seemingly at nothing.

"Ever since I got back topside, I've noticed how good he is at hunting. Like he has an extra sense about it all of a sudden. He was always good, you know? But now… He's stronger than I am. Better at it. I thought I just wasn't strong enough anymore, but—"  
"The blood heightens his abilities, psychically and physically. He's stronger with his psychic abilities, yes, but I've noticed that he's bigger than he was when we last saw him. More muscular, sleek almost."

Dean shook his head, looking down.

"Damn it. What can I do, Leo? How do I get him off of it?"

Leo sighed.

"First, you've got to make sure he's still on it."   
"He's been gone for two days with Ruby. He's got to be on something."

Leo let out a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Dean got to his feet, letting out a breath when his back popped. He turned to Leo and ran his hand across the back of his neck.

"I think I have an idea on how we can find out."

* * *

 

Dean found Melinda an hour later, curled up on her bed with her back to the door, looking out the window. He leaned against the doorframe until she rolled over in the bed, looking over to him. He smiled at her. She watched as he walked in the room, tugging his boots off before crawling onto the bed beside her.

"Scoot over."

She did, for just a second. Dean stretched out on the bed and reached over, taking hold of her and pulling her to him. Melinda let out a sigh, then wrapped her arms around him and put her face in his chest. Dean pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm not mad at you, Mel. And I could never, ever hate you, so just stop."

She let out a breath, and Dean sighed.

"Come on, babe. I know you didn't want to have to tell me. This whole thing is just— This is not your fault; you are not to blame. I'm going to fix it."

She was still for a second, and he blew out his breath.

"Give me some credit, would you?"  
"Would you get out of my head? It's weird."

He laughed, and she moved her ear over his heart. He moved a hand to run it through her hair, which Peyton had curled for her that morning.

"I'm sorry, Mel."   
"Don't."

She sat up, looking him in the face.

"Now you stop. This isn't your fault. You are not to blame for this either, so stop blaming yourself. You were in hell, Dean!"

He sighed.

"No, no. Quit doing that. Do you really believe that?"   
"Now _you_ get out of _my_ head."

He sat up, leaning back against the headboard. Melinda moved to sit in front of him, basically in his lap, facing him. She took hold of his hands.

"Let's just break this down, shall we? If you hadn't gone to hell, Sam wouldn't be a blood junkie now, right?"   
"Mel, do you have to put it like that?"   
"I call 'em like I see 'em, honey."

Dean sighed, but nodded. Melinda went on.

"Okay, so let's say you didn't go to hell. You not going to hell means you never would have made that deal with the Crossroads demon. And that means that Sammy would be dead."

Dean stopped, looking down at their hands before coming back to meet Melinda's eyes. She sighed.

"You didn't think about that, did you?"

He shook his head. Melinda sighed.

"In all honesty, I think I'd take demon blood-addict Sam over dead Sam."

Dean nodded.

"You're right. I … Oh, I never thought of it like that."

Melinda let her hand come up, cupping Dean's cheek. He leaned into her touch and sighed.

"Fate is a tricky bitch, Dean. Things that are supposed to happen have a way of happening, no matter what we do. I think this was supposed to happen. I don't know why. I don't know if I'll ever know why. What I do know is that he needs our help. We need to get him off of it."   
"Your dad wants me to make 100% sure that he's still on it."

Melinda gave him a look.

"He's been gone for two days with Ruby. He's got to be on something, Dean."

Dean laughed, sitting up to move closer to her.

"That's exactly what I said."

Melinda scooted closer to him and let her hand drift up, to the back of his neck. She ran her fingers gently through his hair and he closed his eyes with a sigh.

"So what's the plan, Winchester?"  
"I think I've got one."

Melinda's mouth dropped open when she read what he was thinking. Her hand fell, and Dean's eyes opened, confused. He stopped when he saw her face.

"Mel…"  
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."   
"It's the only way."  
"Are you high, Dean? That never works out. Never!"  
"It will for us."

She shook her head, letting out a long sigh. Dean watched her.

"Leo thought it was a good plan."

Melinda met his eyes again.

"Daddy's usually a lot smarter than that."

Dean laced his fingers with hers, and Melinda looked from their hands to his face. He smiled.

"It'll work, Mel."  
"So you want me to stay here while you go and basically throw Sam to the wolves?"  
"To see what he does in ... Uh…"   
"In the heat of the moment?"   
"Leave Asia out of this, please."

Melinda rolled her eyes. For some strange reason that she didn't quite get, both Dean and Sam had an aversion to the song _Heat of the Moment_ by Asia. Melinda liked it, but both of them would completely wig out anytime they heard it. She shook her head.

"So you go hunt, and I … What? Sit home and knit?"

Dean smiled.

"Don't you know me better than that by now, Winchester?"  
"I don't expect you to just sit back and let me go. That's not my Melinda."

She smiled this time, and he squeezed her hand.

"I thought maybe you could take the time to make a few wedding plans."

Melinda's eyes widened, and so did Dean's smile.

"What?"   
"We're getting damn close to Apocalypse Now, Mel. And I don't want to wait anymore."

She leaned back, looking closer at him.

"What?"   
"Who are you, and what have you done with Dean?"

He let out a laugh.

"Mel, I—"  
_"Christo."_

He threw his head back laughing and Melinda couldn't help but join him. When he quieted down, he shook his head.

"I'm not a demon, Halliwell."  
"Can't be too careful these days."

Dean reached over to brush his fingers through the curls on her head.

"I never thought I'd get married, Mel. Too risky for a hunter. Then I met you, and you screwed me up. In the best possible way, of course."   
"Of course."

She smiled, and he ran his thumb across her cheek.

"Let's get Sammy clean, and we'll get married."   
"Okay."  
"Okay?"

Melinda smiled, rolling her eyes again.

"Yes. It's been a long time since it was just you and Sam together. Maybe if it's just the two of you, you'll …"  
"I know, Mel."

They leaned in, lips coming together softly. Melinda pulled back just a bit.

"I still think your plan is going to backfire on us."   
"Well, do you have a better one?"

Melinda sighed.

"No."   
"Then trust me."

She smiled, reaching up to touch his face.

"Oh, I do."

They kissed again, and just as Dean took her in his arms, lowering her to the bed, Melinda pulled away from him with a gasp.

"What? What is it, Mel? What's wrong?"

She laid a hand to her forehead with a groan.

"My … my head. Ruby's here. They're back."


	38. Hold On Loosely

Dean climbed off the bed, going to look out Melinda's window. He watched as a car pulled up and stopped at the curb. Sam climbed out of the driver's seat, while Ruby exited the passenger's side. Melinda moaned, rubbing her temples.

"It's Ruby, isn't it?"

Dean turned back from the window, walking over and pressing a kiss to the top of Melinda's head.

"Yeah, but it looks like she might be taking off."  
"Jesus, I hope so."

Dean watched as Ruby went up on her toes, giving Sam a kiss before climbing back in the car. Sam slid his hands in his pockets and walked towards the house, while Melinda let out a moan, then a sigh of relief.

"She's gone. Thank God."

Dean smiled, then sighed. Melinda looked up to him, letting out her breath.

"It's time, isn't it?"

Dean nodded, then turned to grab a bag. Melinda ran her hands through her hair.

"Are you sure about this?"  
"Do we really have another choice, Mel?"

She sighed, watching him pack his clothes.

"I just have a bad feeling about this."  
"My brother is addicted to demon blood, and I'm practically setting him up for a fall. Did you expect to have a good feeling?"

Melinda lifted a shoulder and nodded.

"I guess you have a point."  
"Sometimes, it happens."

They smiled, and Melinda looked over to him.

"Dean, I don't want to do this."  
"I know, baby. I don't either, but—"  
"We really don't have another choice."

Dean nodded, with a sad smile on his face.

"I'm going to make our wedding super tacky."

Dean laughed.

"Hey, go all out. It's the only wedding you'll be having, so…"

Melinda smiled.

"You really think so?"  
"Damn straight."

She grinned at him, and he zipped up the bag.

"All right. So Bobby's going to find us some hunts, and if not, we'll just crash at his place. I've got him on alert, and he knows to call you if anything happens."

Melinda nodded.

"I hope this works."

Dean smiled at her, running his hand through her hair.

"It has to. Come on."

He tossed the bag up on his shoulder and held out his hand. Melinda took it, and they walked to the top of the stairs. Dean set the bag down as quietly as he could, then turned to her, taking her face in his hands and pulling her to him. He covered her lips with his in an urgent kiss, one that went deeper than he'd originally planned. Melinda could feel everything he felt, the urgency, the need, the passion. The worry. She took it all in and sent him back nothing but love. The kiss stopped, and Melinda had tears in her eyes. Dean sighed, and she whispered to him.

"Just getting into character."

He smiled and nodded.

"Showtime."

Melinda nodded, pulling him in for one more kiss. Behind them, the door slammed shut. After a second, Dean took off down the stairs, as the door swung open before slamming again. Melinda took a deep breath, then went right behind him, going down the stairs.

"Don't you walk away from me, you son of a bitch!"

Sam, who was standing in the foyer, looked up just in time to catch the bag as Dean tossed it to him. He looked to his brother.

"Dean, what's—"  
"Get your shit, Sam. We're out of here."  
"Like hell you are!"

Melinda stood on the landing of the stairs as Dean turned back to her, an angry smile on his face.

"I'm not staying another minute. You know, Melinda, if there's one thing I hate, it's a liar."  
"Oh, because you're such a paragon of truth?"

Dean shook his head, turning back to a shocked Sam.

"Dean, what's going on?"  
"We're leaving."  
"Why?"

Peyton, Piper, and Leo slowly made their way out of the kitchen. Piper took Leo's hand as Dean spoke, spitting his words at Sam, then Melinda.

"Because she is a damn liar."  
"You should know by now that I wouldn't lie about something like this."  
"You think I haven't noticed the weirdness between you and Sam? Do you think I'm an idiot, Melinda?"  
"Do you really want me to answer that question?"

Dean shook his head, closing his eyes before looking to Sam.

"I didn't see it before, Sammy, but I see it now."  
"What the hell are you talking about, Dean?"  
"She's trying to pull me away from you. I didn't even notice, until she made up this latest premonition."  
"I didn't make it up, damn it!"

Dean whirled around, going closer to the stairs.

"So you're telling me my brother is addicted to demon blood?! He's not a vampire, Melinda. No one would willingly drink blood. Am I right, Sammy?"

Sam's eyes were wide for just a second, and Dean smiled.

"See? I don't know who gives you visions, but you should probably get a refund. Come on, Sam."  
"Dean Winchester, I swear to God, if you walk out that door…"  
"What? What will you do, O Great One?"

Melinda's eyes narrowed and Peyton rushed over to her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why don't we all just calm down and talk about this, hmm?"  
"I know what I saw, Peyton. If he doesn't believe me… It's not my fault he's a brainless idiot."  
"Oh, yeah. That makes me want to stay."

The lightbulb behind Melinda burst, and Peyton yelped. Melinda walked down the rest of the stairs and stood at the opposite end of the hallway from Dean.

"Fine. Go. It's not like I'm surprised. You're so good at leaving, you might as well just put it on your resume! Wait. That would mean you'd have a job, and you're nothing but a con man. A worthless, good for nothing con."

Dean smiled, then opened the door. He walked onto the porch, never looking back.

"Sam!"

Sam turned and followed, and Melinda slammed the door behind them. Leo let out a sigh, and Melinda blinked back the tears in her eyes. Peyton went to the window, watching the Impala slide down the driveway, then disappear as it sped off. Peyton had tears in her eyes too, and she walked to Melinda.

"Oh, honey."

Melinda smiled and let out a shaky breath. Peyton shook her head.

"I can't believe he said those things."  
"We had to make it believable."

Peyton and Piper turned to stare at Melinda as Leo walked over and took her in his arms.

"You did good, kid."  
"I was thinking the whole time, pushing it to him, that I didn't mean what I was saying. And he was doing the same thing."

Leo kissed the top of Melinda's head and Piper held up a hand.

"Wait a second. Are you saying that this was all … what, a joke?"

Melinda looked up to Leo, who rubbed her arm.

"Not so much a joke, but a… Setup, maybe?"

Leo shrugged his shoulders and Melinda nodded.

"Dean had this idea to go, just him and Sam to see what's really up with Sam. If he's still on the demon blood."

Piper blinked.

"Honey, he almost killed you."  
"Mama—"  
"Don't 'Mama' me. He threw you up against a wall, gave you a horrific concussion, and left you for dead. He better be on something."

Piper turned and walked out of the room, and Leo kissed Melinda's head before following her. Melinda looked over to Peyton, who was staring out the window.

"I really think he did what he did to protect you, Peyton."

One tear slid down Peyton's face.

"I really don't care, Mel. I hate him."  
"No, you don't."  
"Yes, I do."

Peyton turned to Melinda and another tear fell.

"I have to. If I don't hate him, I feel this overwhelming feeling that I'm not going to make it. He was my heart and my life, and everything I had was wrapped up in him, and he walked away from it for a demon. A demon, Melinda! That's—"  
"The unforgivable sin."

Melinda looked down and sighed, as Peyton shook her head.

"I was okay, at first. I was so mad, and I was fine. And then I saw him. He was here, and it all came flooding back, and now…"

Peyton shook her head again, running her hands through her hair.

"I don't want to talk about him. It … It doesn't matter."

Melinda wrapped an arm around Peyton and they walked into the kitchen, where Piper was banging around pots and pans while Leo drummed his fingers on the table. Melinda looked from him to Peyton and smiled.

"Hey, Mama?"

Piper turned back, throwing a glance at Melinda.

"Whenever you get done, we've got things to do."  
"What kind of things?"

Melinda's smile grew and she glanced down at her hand, where Dean's ring still sparkled.

"Wedding things."

Piper whirled around, and Peyton did too, walking over to Melinda. Leo stood up from the table. Piper took in a breath.

"Wedding things?"  
"Dean said that he doesn't want to wait anymore. So he's going to help Sam, and I'm staying here and we're going to start planning the wedding."

Peyton squealed and hugged Melinda, while Piper and Leo exchanged a glance. Leo put on a smile before Piper wrapped Melinda in her arms. Piper blinked back her tears, then smiled.

"Okay. We've got so much we need to do. First off, call your aunts. They're going to want to be all up in this."


	39. Say It Ain't So

Bobby had sent Sam and Dean on a random hunt, a regular old salt-and-burn in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Sam seemed like his old self, and Dean, though he had complete and utter faith in Melinda and her powers, just couldn't believe that his little brother had done the things Melinda said he had. Still, he kept a close eye on Sam. And Sam, being no dummy, knew it.

A phone call on their dad's old phone sent Sam and Dean to Minnesota, where they, in a haze of confusion and disbelief, met their half-brother, Adam Milligan. Unfortunately, they had arrived too late, and Adam and his mother had been killed by ghouls, who then took on their forms. Dean had arrived just in time, after the ghouls had already started the bloodletting on Sam. Dean had called Jenny, who just couldn't help but heal Sam, who had started to bleed out and quickly.

Sam was physically fine, healed from the ghoul incident, but he noticed that something was off. Since the whole bloodletting thing, Sam had taken to drinking more and more blood, and he was running low on the supply Ruby had given him. She wouldn't answer his calls, and he tried not to let it show, but he was starting to have trouble sleeping. Being awake wasn't much better, since his vision was starting to be off. He felt weak and shaky, and he hated to say it, but he was pretty sure he was having withdrawals. He tried to hide it from Dean, but his brother was nobody's fool.

Castiel visited Dean in a dream, but when Dean went to the place where he and Castiel were supposed to meet, the angel was gone. His vessel, a man named Jimmy Novak, was all he'd left behind. Sam and Dean agreed that it was not safe for Jimmy, and they convinced him to stay with them. While Dean slept, Sam was on watch, and he slipped out to call Ruby. Who, of course, didn't answer her damn phone. Jimmy slipped out while Sam was out, and he and Dean tracked Jimmy to his home, where a demon had possessed his wife and taken his daughter hostage. Jimmy called for Castiel, begging him to help, and got no answer. Of course, a fight broke out, and during the fight, Jimmy was shot. Sam and Dean had been taken by demons, and Sam had nearly fainted while trying to use his powers to exorcise a demon. To everyone's shock and surprise, Castiel showed up in a new vessel, Jimmy's daughter. Castiel took care of a few of the demons, which gave Sam and Dean the chance to fight as well. When Sam had one of the demons pinned under him, he noticed that he could see the demon's heartbeat through a vein in her neck. He bent down, biting until he could taste blood, and as the warm blood slid down his throat, rushing into his system, Sam let out a breath of relief. When he'd drank his fill, he turned back, blood smeared on his face, and looked into the not so much shocked, but hurt faces of Dean and little girl Castiel. Sam was able to use his powers to exorcise the demon from Jimmy's wife, and his daughter knelt beside him as Jimmy was dying. He begged Castiel to let his little girl go, and to take him instead. Castiel agreed, and the angel went back into his vessel. The words he'd spoken to Dean still burned in Dean's mind.

_"I learned my lesson while I was away, Dean. I serve Heaven; I don't serve man. And I certainly don't serve you."_

* * *

 

Melinda spent the two weeks the boys were gone in full wedding planning mode. She picked out flowers, napkins, a cake—for her. They were forgoing a groom's cake, opting to have pie instead. It was Dean Winchester, after all. Melinda decided to have one attendant, Peyton, as her maid of honor, and she could only guess that Dean would have Sam be his best man. Well, she hoped it would work out like that. She got worried when she didn't hear from him, but Bobby faithfully called her at least once a week, filling her in. She was shocked to learn about Adam, hating that she hadn't been there to help Dean through what had to be a rough time.

Melinda was sitting at the kitchen table, her hair piled on her head, and glasses on her nose, as she scrolled through pages and pages of wedding dresses on her laptop. Peyton was at the opposite end of the table, looking through books of hairstyles, shoes, and bridesmaid dresses. Piper was at the stove, making some tea for them when Peyton sighed.

"I can't look at another thing tonight. I swear, I just can't."

She set her elbows on the table, rubbing her eyes. Melinda took her glasses off, tossing them aside and rubbed her eyes as well.

"All I can see is white. Fluffy white dresses, and I'm so sick of them."

Piper laughed quietly, bringing the tea over to the girls.

"Take a break. You've been going hard at this for weeks. We've made a lot of progress, believe it or not."

Melinda nodded, then picked up her phone as a text came through.

_You were right. It's bad._

Melinda took in a shaky breath and dialed a number on the phone.

_"Hello."_   
"Bobby, it's Mel. Have you talked to Dean?"   
_"Yeah, darlin'. He just called. You think you could pop over here real quick?"_  
"Of course. I'll be there in just a minute."

She hung up the phone and looked up, into the concerned eyes of her mother and Peyton.

"Dean texted me. Sam … It's bad, he said."

Piper looked down and Peyton's eyes glazed over. Melinda hit the table, and Peyton jumped, but came back to reality.

"We need to go to Bobby's for a minute, Peyton. Come on."  
"Mel, I—"   
"I need this from you, Peyton. Please."

Peyton sighed, but stood up. She walked over to Melinda, who stood up and looked to Piper as she linked hands with Peyton.

"We'll be right back, Mama."

Piper nodded as the girls disappeared, then let out a sigh.

* * *

 

In the car, Dean was focused on the road. No music was playing, no one was talking, and the only sound was the steady beat of the windshield wipers and the patter of rain on the roof. Sam finally had enough.

"All right, Dean. Let's hear it."

Dean looked over to Sam, then back to the road.

"What?"   
"Drop the bomb, man. You saw what I did. Come on, stop the car, take a swing."  
"I'm not going to take a swing."

Dean's voice was calm, quiet, and steady. Sam blew out his breath.

"Then scream. Chew me out."   
"I'm not mad, Sam."  
"Oh, come on. _You're_ not mad?"

Dean shook his head, and Sam sighed.

"At least let me explain myself."   
"Don't. I don't care."

Sam looked over at his brother, who stared out the windshield. Sam swallowed.

"You don't care?"

Dean slid his gaze over to Sam.

"What do you want me to say, Sam? That I'm disappointed? Yeah, I am."

Dean let out a long sigh, looking out on the road again.

"But mostly… I'm just tired, man. I'm done. I am just … done."

Dean kept staring out the windshield, and Sam let out a sigh. He watched Dean for a minute, then looked out on the road before his phone rang. Bobby was calling.

"Yeah."   
_"You and your brother better shag ass over to my place ASAP."_  
"Why? What's going on?"   
_"The Apocalypse, genius. Now get your asses over here."_

Sam closed the phone, looking over to Dean.

"Bobby needs us."

Dean nodded, turning the car and taking an exit.

* * *

 

"You did good, Bobby."

He sighed as he closed his phone, rubbing a hand across his face.

"I just don't know about this."

Melinda smiled, patting him on the back.

"I think this is our best bet, Bobby. He needs our help."

Bobby nodded. He loved Sam like he was his own. It absolutely killed him to get the call from Dean, that Sam had been drinking demon blood to make his powers go into overdrive. Bobby had looked up everything he could about it, and the information he'd found hadn't given him any good news. He sighed again, running his hand back over his face as Melinda telekinetically moved the last thing from the panic room. Peyton fluffed the pillow on the bed and Melinda brought a bucket beside it. She looked around, nodding.

"Okay. All the Devil's Traps still set?"

Bobby nodded, and she looked to Peyton.

"Hex bags?"  
"In almost every corner. Up high, where even Gigantor can't reach."

Melinda smiled, nodding again.

"Okay. I think we're set."

Bobby nodded, and Melinda walked over, taking his hands.

"You call me the second anything goes south."  
"I will."   
"Promise me, Bobby."

He sighed.

"I promise, Mel."

She nodded, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Peyton did the same thing, and they joined hands, smiling at Bobby as they disappeared. Bobby glanced around the room one more time, letting out a sigh, then walked back upstairs.

* * *

 

Dean pulled into Bobby's place and shut the car off. He didn't say a word as he climbed out, stretching, getting their bags from the trunk. Sam sighed, stretching, groaning as his joints popped. They walked towards the house and Bobby walked out onto the porch. Sam smiled, lifting a hand.

"Hey, Bobby."   
"Hey. Come on in."

Sam and Dean walked up the steps, and Dean dropped their bags in the living room. They turned to face Bobby and he sighed.

"Follow me."

He led them downstairs, down to the panic room.

"Thanks for shaking a tail."  
"Oh, no problem."

Sam snorted. Those were the first words Dean had said in the last couple of hours. Damn long drive when it's so silent. Sam took hold of the heavy iron door, swinging it open. Bobby turned to him and nodded.

"Go on inside. There's something I want to show you."

Sam stepped in, unafraid to go first into the demon- and ghost-proof panic room. He wiped his hands on his jeans, looking around. It was different than it had been the last time he'd been in it. It was empty now, all but stripped bare, with only the bed and a bucket in the room. Sam looked around.

"Okay, so uh… What's the big demon problem?"  
"You are."

Sam turned back to see Dean and Bobby still outside the door. Dean's face was sorrowful, and he brought his eyes up to Sam. Bobby sighed, stepping back.

"This is for your own good, son."   
"What?"

Bobby and Dean shut the heavy door, locking it. Sam walked back towards the door and Bobby slid the peephole shut. Sam went to the door, laying his hands on it.

"Guys, this isn't funny. Let me out of here. Hey. Guys? This isn't funny. Hey!"

Dean blew out his breath, looking over to Bobby, who sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. Sam kept yelling, kept banging on the door, but he couldn't open it. Dean hated locking him in there, but Sam had to dry out somehow. Bobby went up the stairs, looking back to Dean.

"You coming? He's going to keep yelling, and there's nothing he can do to get out. He's safe in there, Dean."   
"I don't want to leave him, Bobby."   
"I know, son. Come on anyway. I'll get you a beer."

Dean sighed, then followed Bobby up the stairs. And standing in the kitchen, her blonde hair shining under the fluorescent light, was Melinda. She was smiling at Dean, and he let out a breath, walking into her arms. She closed her eyes and sighed as she ran her hands through his hair.

"I'm so glad you're all right."   
"I missed you, Mel."  
"Oh, not as much as I missed you."

They stood in the kitchen, holding each other, not even noticing how Bobby slipped out of the room. Dean spoke as he ran his hands up and down her back.

"What are you doing here?"

Melinda smiled, her eyes still closed.

"I was thinking you boys might need a little help. Daddy talked me through the withdrawal process, and it's going to get ugly, Dean. Wyatt orbed me here."

Dean nodded.

"I'm glad you're here."  
"Me too, Winchester."

They heard Sam let out a particularly loud yell, and they sighed, pulling apart. Dean slipped his jacket off his shoulders and the refrigerator opened, a beer floating out and landing on the table. The top came off, and Dean let out a laugh.

"You're good."

Melinda shrugged her shoulders and smiled. They walked into Bobby's library, where he was sitting at the desk, reading. Dean sat on the couch, taking a long drink from his beer, and Melinda sat beside him. Sam continued to yell, to beat on the door and the walls, until Dean finished his beer and stood up, heading down to the panic room. After a second, Melinda followed after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's "The Rapture."


	40. Unwell

Dean walked to the panic room door, sliding open the slot in the door. Sam walked over to it, his eyes wide. He spoke, and his voice was hoarse from all the yelling he'd been doing.

"Okay, let me out, Dean. This isn't funny."   
"Damn straight."   
"Come on, Dean! This is crazy!"

Dean shook his head.

"Nope. Not until you dry out."

Sam stared at him for a second, then sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry. I—I shouldn't have lied to you like that. Just … Open the door."   
"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."

Sam sighed, and Dean went on.

"It's not your fault that you lied to me over and over again. It's not your fault that you broke Peyton's heart and nearly killed my fiancé. I get it now. You couldn't help it."  
"I'm not some junkie, Dean."  
"Really? So I guess I've just imagined how strung out you've been lately."

Sam laughed, turning around and running his hands through his hair.

"You're actually trying to turn this into some ridiculous drug intervention?!"  
"If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck…"  
"Dean! I'm not drinking the demon blood for kicks!"

Dean sighed, looking down.

"I'm getting strong enough to kill Lilith!"

Dean's head popped back up.

"Strong? You call this strong? This is about as far away from strong as you can get! Do you even see how far off the reservation you've gone? This is not strong, Sam. This is—this is weak. This is desperate. It's pathetic!"

Sam clenched his fists by his side, speaking through a clenched jaw.

"Killing Lilith … is what matters. Or are you too busy being so self-righteous you forgot about her?"

Dean smiled, nodding his head.

"Don't you worry, Sammy. Lilith's going to die. Bobby and I will kill her. But you… Congratulations. You just bought yourself a benchwarmer seat to the Apocalypse."  
"You're not serious."

Dean didn't say another word. He shut the slot, trying to ignore Sam's pleas for him to let him out. Sam banged on the door, yelling for his brother, telling him to let him go. Dean walked away, to the stairs, where Melinda sat, waiting for him.

"You did good, Dean."

He shook his head, but offered a hand to her. She took it, standing up, and kept holding it as they walked up the stairs, back to the library where Bobby was.

* * *

 

Hours later, Melinda, who had been asleep on the couch in Bobby's library, jolted awake when she heard a scream, different from the others they'd heard, filter up from the panic room. Dean went for the door.

"Wait!"

He turned back to Melinda, who glanced at the clock.

"He's been down there a long time."

She heard more screams, and sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"The hallucinations must have started."

Dean sighed, swirling around his fourth—or was it fifth?—glass of whiskey.

"How long is this going to go on?"

Bobby leaned up in his chair.

"Here. Let me look it up in my _Demon Detox Manual_. Oh, wait. No one ever wrote one."

Dean let out a sigh at Bobby's sarcasm and Melinda yawned.

"It's no telling how long it will take."   
"Or if Sam will even live through it."

Dean shot a glance to Bobby, who downed the rest of his whiskey. Melinda rubbed her eyes again.

"This will be the hardest part. Hearing him scream, begging us to help him against things that only he can see. His mind, playing tricks on him."

Bobby's phone rang, and he reached to answer it.

"Hello? … Suck dirt and die, Rufus. You call me again, I'll kill you."

Bobby slammed the phone down as Dean and Melinda shared a glance. Melinda bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Dean cleared his throat.

"Rufus?"   
"Son of a bitch."

Melinda laughed at that, until Bobby's phone rang again. This time, Melinda's phone joined in. Dean walked over, sipping his whiskey and looking out the window while Bobby and Melinda exchanged glances. Dean could hear Sam talking, but at least he wasn't screaming anymore. Bobby and Melinda turned to Dean with sighs. Dean smiled.

"Well, that sounds promising."

Bobby handed him a piece of paper.

"That's what Rufus was calling about."

Melinda looked over Dean's shoulder.

"That's what Daddy was calling about, too."

Dean read the headline.

_"Key West sees 10 species go extinct."_

Bobby nodded.

"Plus Alaska. 15-man fishing crew all stricken blind, cause unknown."

Melinda stepped closer to Bobby.

"And a school shooting in New York, exactly 66 victims."   
"All this happened in a single day?"

Melinda let out a sigh and nodded to Dean.

"Those are all seals, breaking fast. Playtime's over, Dean. Lilith's getting down to business now."

Dean nodded.

"How many seals are left?"

Melinda shook her head, and Bobby ran a hand over his face.

"Can't be many. I thought Cas was keeping track of that. Where the hell are your angel pals now?"

Dean sighed.

"You tell me."

Sam let out another scream for help, and Dean shook his head, slamming down his glass and grabbing his jacket before heading out the door. Bobby sighed, and a washcloth floated to Melinda's hands. She smiled to Bobby.

"I'm going to go check on Sam. Keep an eye on Dean?"

Bobby nodded, sliding a jacket on and heading outside after Dean. He found him walking around, kicking rocks in the salvage yard. Dean looked over to see Bobby and smiled.

"Mel send you to babysit me?"  
"Partially. Other part's I know you, and I don't want you to pull some dumbass stunt."

Dean laughed under his breath.

"We doing the right thing, Bobby? Locking Sam up like this?"

Bobby sighed, looking out over the cars.

"You second-guessing your grand idea?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders. Bobby sighed again.

"I don't like this any more than you do, son, but … Sam can kill demons. He could have a real shot at stopping Armageddon. Do you really think this is the best time to have this little domestic dispute?"

Dean looked sideways at Bobby, who looked down.

"I know you hate me for suggesting it. I hate me for suggesting it."   
"So, what, we just sacrifice Sam's life, his soul, for the greater good?"

Bobby sighed again, as Dean ran a hand through his hair. Bobby finally turned to face Dean.

"Listen to me. Now, I couldn't love that boy more if he was my own. It's killing me to see him like this. But Dean…"   
"Bobby, I can't—"  
"Answer me this: Are you really doing this for Sam? For his own good and well-being? Or is he in that room instead of on the battlefield because we love him too much?"

Dean let out a sigh as Bobby turned and walked back into the house. Dean walked a little further from the house, looking up at the stars. He let out a yell, calling for Castiel, and after a while, the angel appeared in front of him. Dean looked over, meeting Castiel's eyes.

"Long time no see."   
"What do you want, Dean?"

Dean snorted.

"An explanation, maybe? Like what the hell you had to tell me?"  
"It's not of import."

Dean blinked, letting out a laugh.

"You got ass-reamed in heaven, but it's not of import?"  
"Dean, I can't."

Dean turned around, shaking his head. Castiel walked a little ways, then stopped.

"Get to the reason you really called me. It's about Sam, isn't it?"

Dean looked over, staring at the angel's back.

"Can he do it? Can Sam kill Lilith, stop the Apocalypse?"

Castiel nodded.

"It's possible."

He turned around to face Dean.

"But as you know, he'd have to take certain steps."

Dean sighed.

"Crank up the hell-blood regimen."

Castiel nodded.

"The amount of blood Sam would have to consume in order to be able to kill Lilith would change him forever. In all likelihood, he would become the next creature you would feel compelled to kill."

Dean swallowed as he looked at the ground. Castiel continued.

"There is no reason that this would have to come to pass, Dean. We believe it's you, not your brother. The only question for us is whether you're willing to accept it, to stand up and accept your role. You are the one who will stop it."

Dean took in a deep breath, then turned to face the angel.

"If I do this … Sammy doesn't have to?"

Castiel shrugged his shoulders.

"If it makes you feel better to see it that way."

Dean let out a laugh.

"God, you're a dick these days!"

Dean walked for a minute, taking a few steps away from the angel before stopping. Killing Lilith, what Sam was focused on, would kill him, in one way or another. The last time Sam died, Dean had sold his soul to get him back. He couldn't lose him again. Demon-blood addicted or no, Sammy was still his pain-in-the-ass little brother, and it was still Dean's job to protect him. It would be until Dean took his last breath, and probably even after that. Dean let out a long sigh.

"All right, I'm in."

Castiel stood under a light, looking out over the rows of cars. He spoke, not looking to Dean.

"You give yourself over wholly to the service of God and His angels?"

Dean closed his eyes, seeing Melinda's face. She'd understand.

"Yeah."   
"Say it, Dean."

Dean sighed, opening his eyes and turning to walk in front of the angel.

"I give myself wholly to serve God … and you guys."  
"You swear to follow His will and His word as swiftly and obediently you did your own father's?"

Dean took a second, letting it all sink in, staring at Castiel's piercing blue eyes.

"Yes, I swear."

Castiel nodded, and Dean glanced around.

"Now what?"   
"Now you wait. And we call on you when it's time."

* * *

 

Melinda walked down the stairs, sliding the heavy door open just enough to stick her hands inside the room. She peeked in behind them, seeing Sam frozen on the bed. She let out a breath and stepped inside, leaving the door cracked open behind her. She laid a hand to Sam's forehead and let out a sigh. He was burning up with fever. She lifted the damp washcloth to his face, and unfroze only his head. Sam looked up at her when he felt the cloth hit his face, squinting his eyes.

"Mom?"

Melinda stopped, thrown off for a second.

"No, Sammy. It's Mel."  
"Mom, I'm so glad you're here."

Melinda sighed, running the washcloth over his eyes, and Sam sighed, too.

"It feels so good."  
"You've got a fever, honey. But it's okay. You're doing good, Sammy."   
"I'm sorry, Mom."

Sam squeezed his eyes shut, tears leaking out. Melinda felt her heart break.

"I'm sorry I'm such a piss-poor excuse for a son."   
"No, Sammy. No. You … You're a good son. You just made a few bad choices."

Sam nodded, his eyes relaxing before his head lolled to one side. Melinda sighed, stepping back as pieces of ice flew into the washcloth. She moved Sam, using her powers to help him stretch out on the bed, since he was still froze. She laid the cloth on his head, then walked to the door, slipping out of it before throwing out her hands and unfreezing Sam. She shut the door behind her, locking it, then went on her tiptoes to look through the door. She nodded, then started walking away, when she heard the groan. She walked back, going on tiptoe again to look into the room. Her eyes widened as she saw Sam as he was thrown all over the room. Melinda rushed to the bottom of the stairs.

"Dean! Bobby! Help me! Hurry!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's "When the Levee Breaks."


	41. Wrong Again

Melinda was sitting on the couch, rubbing her eyes. The last thirty or so minutes had been horrible. The demon blood had taken hold of Sam, tossing him around the panic room like he was nothing more than a rag doll. Bobby and Dean had come running when Melinda called for them, and they had taken hold of Sam, pulling him down to the floor and pinning him down. Bobby had yanked his belt off, putting it in Sam's mouth, and Dean had only been able to watch in horror as Sam's eyes rolled back in his head. Sam jerked and both Bobby and Dean went flying, but Melinda was able to freeze the room. Sam was still on the floor, Dean and Bobby in the air. She lowered Dean and Bobby using her powers, and unfroze them, while Sam stayed unmoving on the ground. They were able to move Sam to the bed and handcuff him there, and Melinda had unfrozen him before they left him.

"I'm going to ask one more time."

Melinda and Dean let out matching sighs at Bobby.

"Are we absolutely sure we're doing the right thing?"

Melinda ran her hand over her face.

"Do we really have another choice, Bobby?"

Bobby sighed, crossed his arms over his chest. Dean turned back from the doorway, where he'd been listening to Sam talk to someone who wasn't really there.

"You saw what that demon blood was doing to him. Tossing him around like it was nothing. It's killing him."   
"No, it isn't."

Melinda looked up, as Bobby shook his head.

"I've bit my tongue for as long as I can. The demon blood's not killing him. We are."   
"Bobby, what the hell are you talking about?"

Bobby set his hands on his desk, leaning over.

"Keeping him locked up down there... This cold-turkey thing isn't working. And I'm afraid that if he doesn't get what he needs, and soon … Sam's not going to last much longer."

As Dean turned towards the doorway, Melinda looked down at her hands. Bobby was right. Her father had mentioned that going completely cold-turkey might not work, especially for someone like Sam. He needed to be weaned off of the blood gently, or else … Like she'd said before, demon blood-addicted Sam was better than dead Sam.

"No."

Melinda and Bobby both looked over to Dean. Dean turned back to them, shaking his head.

"I'm not giving him demon blood. I won't do it."

Melinda looked to Bobby, then spoke quietly.

"But he might die, Dean."  
"Then at least he'll die human!"

Melinda's mouth fell open, and Bobby shook his head as he stared at Dean. Tears threatened Dean's eyes, but he blinked them back.

"I would die for him in a second. But I will not let him do this to himself. I can't. I won't let my brother turn into a monster."

Dean nodded, letting out a sigh.

"Sammy's going to be fine. I made sure of that."

Melinda felt a chill roll down her spine.

"What are you talking about?"

Bobby sat down in his chair, not taking his eyes from Dean. Melinda slowly got to her feet, as Dean moved a hand to the back of his neck. Melinda's voice was low.

"Dean, what did you do?"

He brought his eyes to hers.

"Cas was here a little while ago."   
"Cas? He was here?"

Dean nodded, and Melinda tried to hide the hurt she felt. Dean went on.

"He told me that if Sam were to kill Lilith, the amount of blood he'd have to drink would … It would change him forever. I couldn't let that happen. Not to Sammy. So I … I accepted my role."   
"You did what?!"

Dean looked back at Melinda, whose eyes were wide.

"I gave myself over wholly to serve God and his angels."

Melinda's mouth dropped open and Bobby ran a hand over his face.

"You dumbass idjit."

Dean looked back to Bobby.

"I didn't have a choice, Bobby! We would have to kill Sam, and I just can't do that."  
"So you willingly signed up to be the angels' bitch?"

Dean shot Melinda a look, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, it's true."

Dean sighed, and Melinda bit her lip.

"So what do you have to do?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders as he looked at her.

"Cas just told me to wait. They'll let me know."   
"Wait?"

Dean nodded, and Melinda let out a laugh.

"So now we just put all our trust in those dicks with wings?"   
"It's better than letting Sammy trust a demon."

Melinda shook her head, going to the stairs to go check on Sam. Dean looked over at Bobby, who shook his head and pulled a book out from the stack on his desk. Dean walked over and flopped down on the couch, letting out a long sigh. Melinda came back up the stairs a little while later.

"Sam's fine. He's … sleeping."

And so were Dean and Bobby. Melinda smiled. Bobby had his head pillowed on his arms, sound asleep at his desk. Dean was stretched out on the couch, one arm across the back, the other dangling off the side, touching the floor. Melinda walked over, grabbing a blanket and sitting beside Dean.

"Scoot over, you stupid idiot."

He did, mumbling but not waking up, and when she settled in, laying her head on his arm, he wrapped his other arm around her. She smiled, then let out a long breath as she closed her eyes.

* * *

 

Down in the panic room, Sam woke up with a start. He looked around, and let out a breath when he saw that he was alone. He couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't anymore. He'd seen everyone from Alistair to his younger self, and little Sam had informed him that yes, he was hallucinating. He'd seen his mother, and he would still swear that she had truly been there, pressing a cool cloth to his forehead, trying to bring down his raging fever. The fever he was pretty damn sure he still had. He'd seen Peyton, who'd ripped him a new one for the things he'd done to her. He couldn't really blame her for that, either. She told him that she didn't love him, how could she? And, she promised, no one else did either. No one else would ever love or trust Sam Winchester ever again. That had hurt, but not nearly as bad as what Dean had said.

Dean, his big brother, his role model, the one he'd looked up to since he was four years old, had called him a monster. Dean had berated him, calling him a monster over and over again, before telling Sam that he meant nothing to him. Sam had fallen asleep with the hot tears still rolling down his face.

He let out a sigh, noticing then that it was a little too quiet in the room. He glanced around, his eyes growing wide as the handcuff around his wrist popped open. He watched as the ones around his ankles opened, followed by the one on his other wrist. The door swung slowly open, and Sam just watched.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

No one answered him. He slowly stood up, on wobbly legs, and made his way out of the room. He walked up the stairs, never seeing the door shut and lock behind him. Sam walked quietly up the stairs, looking in to see Dean and Melinda curled up on the couch, and Bobby sleeping at his desk. Sam grabbed his jacket and walked out the door.

In the salvage yard, Sam found a car he could use and had gotten the door unlocked and opened when he heard the unmistakable cock of a rifle behind him. He looked into the window of the car, seeing who was behind him and slowly turned around. Bobby swallowed hard.

"Uh-uh, Sam. The only place you're going is back inside with me."

Bobby's heart was breaking, seeing Sam like this. There were dark, dark circles under the boy's eyes, and his face was so pale it nearly glowed in the moonlight. He was sweating, but shivering, and Bobby knew his fever must be raging still. Sam stared at Bobby for a minute, then spoke quietly, his voice hoarse and broken.

"No."   
"Damn it, boy."

Bobby held the gun out, and Sam looked down at it.

"You won't shoot me, Bobby."   
"Don't test me, son!"   
"You won't do it."

Sam stepped closer, until the end of the gun was touching his stomach. Bobby just stared at him, fighting back tears. Sam looked down at the gun, then up to Bobby's face.

"You _can't_ do it."

A tear rolled down Bobby's face, and his voice was thick.

"We're trying to help you, Sam."

Sam nodded, then reached down, taking hold of the gun and moving it up to his heart. A tear fell from Sam's eyes, matching the one that fell from Bobby's. Sam nodded, his voice shaky and broken.

"Then shoot."

Bobby shook his head, and Sam took hold of the rifle, bringing it up and hitting Bobby in the face with it, knocking him out. Sam let out a sob, then tossed the gun down beside Bobby. He crawled in the car, hot-wiring it, and when it started, Sam drove away without a look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's "When the Levee Breaks."


	42. Here I Go Again

Melinda sighed as she held the ice pack to Bobby's face, his forehead and the top of his nose swollen and bruised, but thankfully, not broken. Dean came back up from the panic room.

"Damn Devil's Traps busted all around the room. I don't know how the hell it happened, but I think Ruby broke him out."   
"You think Ruby's got the mojo? Ow."

Melinda smiled, mouthed "Sorry" at Bobby. Dean sighed.

"I didn't think so, but …"  
"Well, how he got gone ain't as important as where he got gone to."

Melinda sighed, and Dean set his hands on his hips.

"I'll tell you one thing. At this point, I hope he's with Ruby."  
"Why?"

Dean locked eyes with Melinda.

"Because killing that bitch just jumped to the number one spot on my to-do list."

Dean walked over, grabbing his keys and setting them on the table and slipping his jacket on. Bobby reached up, taking hold of the ice pack from Melinda. Bobby cleared his throat.

"I thought you were on call for angel duty."   
"I am on call. In my car, on my way to murder that hell-bitch."  
"Okay, can we just hold on for one second?"

Dean closed his eyes, turning to Melinda before opening them again. She looked from him to Bobby and back.

"This is Sam we're talking about. Obviously, he doesn't want to be found. Which means, it's going to be damn near impossible for us to find him."

Dean nodded.

"Yeah, we'll see."

He went to walk by Melinda and his keys appeared in her hand. She looked to him and he sighed.

"Mel, come on."  
"Can we make a plan? Maybe find your brother before you run in there half-assed and get yourself killed?"

Dean sighed, but took his jacket off as Melinda went to the computer and Bobby sucked in a breath, holding the ice to his face.

* * *

 

Sam sat on the couch in a very nice hotel. He was shaking and twitchy, sweating, but not as badly as he had been. He rolled his neck, popped his fingers and stood up. A knock sounded at the door, and he rushed over, not even bothering to look through the peephole.

"Honeymoon suite. I'm flattered, baby."

Ruby stood there, leaning up against the door, a bag slung over her shoulder. Sam let out a sigh of relief and Ruby walked in the room, setting the bag down and sliding her jacket down her shoulders. Sam spoke, clearing his throat.

"Did you bust me out of that room?"   
"How could I? The whole thing's engineered to bite me in the ass."   
"Then who…?"

Ruby shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. I don't want to know. You're out, baby. And that's all that matters. I'm so glad you're here."

Sam nodded.

"Where have you been?"  
"I got here as soon as I could."  
"I mean the past 3 weeks! I've been calling you!"   
"Well, I was pretty deep in it, trying to smoke out Lilith. There wasn't exactly time for me to just sit around and check my voicemail."

Sam just stood there, and Ruby sighed. He looked just awful.

"Sammy, I'm sorry you're hurting. Really, I am. I had no idea Dean would do that to you."  
"You and me both."

He took a step towards her, and Ruby glanced around, then sighed.

"You didn't book this joint to impress me, did you?"   
"Dean's going to come after me. And he knows my habits, my aliases, everything. He knows exactly which hotel I'd pick."

Ruby nodded.

"Hence the room."

Sam nodded, stopping right in front of her.

"Whatever it takes to shake him off."   
"It won't be easy, you know. Dean knows you better than anyone."   
"Not as well as he thinks."

Ruby let out a sigh, as Sam stared at her. She clucked her tongue.

"You know, it's sad."   
"What?"  
"That things have gotten this bad between you two."

Ruby reached out a hand, running it through his hair and over his ear. Sam reached out and grabbed her, pulling her against him, and she gasped as he threw her on the bed. He hovered over her, getting so close, but not kissing her. Ruby let out a little whine and Sam ran his big hands down her body, stopping at her hips before traveling down her legs. He pushed her leg up, reaching under her pants to pull the knife from her boot. Ruby smiled as he moved back up, running the knife across her arm. She bit her lip at the little sting of pain, then Sam's mouth was on her arm, licking up the blood and fixating on the cut. Ruby gasped at the force of him drinking her blood, but a smile spread across her face.

"Easy, Sam. We've got time, baby."

* * *

 

Dean was checking under the hood of the Impala when Bobby and Melinda came walking up. Bobby stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Cops found the car. Abandoned in an alley in Jamestown, North Dakota."

Dean nodded.

"He's switching up. Any cars reported stolen in Jamestown?"

Melinda nodded.

"Two. A '99 blue Honda Civic. Nice and anonymous, just like Sam would choose."   
"And the other?"

Melinda smiled.

"A white '05 Escalade with custom rims. Sticks out like a neon sign."   
"You're right. He'd never take that."

Dean shut the hood and wiped off his hands.

"Which is exactly what he did."

Melinda nodded.

"I thought so, too."

Dean nodded to her, then turned to Bobby.

"All right. We'll head in that direction. You keep an ear to the police scanner, ride the databases. We've got to find him quick."

Bobby nodded, and Dean and Melinda climbed in the Impala, heading off in search of Jamestown and one demon blood addicted lost soul.

* * *

 

Ruby sighed, a smile on her face even though she felt weak. It felt like Sam had nearly drained her blood, before he tore her clothes off and drained her strength. She propped herself up on an elbow, looking over at Sam. The color was back in his face, those dark circles gone from under his eyes. He almost seemed stronger now, like his muscles had grown in the short amount of time they'd been together today. Sam was resting back against the pillows, his eyes closed, and Ruby spoke quietly.

"Your appetite has gotten much bigger."

Sam opened his eyes, sitting up to look at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ruby smiled.

"It's a good thing, Sam. It means you're getting strong enough to kill Lilith. And right on time, too."

Sam looked over at her, and Ruby laid back down on the pillows.

"The final seals are breaking."  
"What?!"

Sam sat up, and Ruby let out a yawn.

"How many are left?"

Ruby shrugged her shoulders.

"Three? Two, maybe?"  
"Oh my God. Where are the angels?!"   
"Screwing the pooch, wherever they are. We are getting closer and closer to the final countdown, the final seal. And I found out something huge."

Sam moved closer to her.

"What is it?"   
"Seal 66. It can't be broken by just any demon. Apparently only Lucifer's first can do it."  
"Lucifer's first?"

Ruby smiled, moving closer to Sam.

"It's a demon Sunday School story. God prefers humans to angels. Lucifer gets jealous, and then he gets creative. So he tempts and twists a human soul into becoming the very first demon. As a, uh … 'Screw you' to God. That's what got him locked up in the first place."

Sam shook his head.

"That's Lilith?"

Ruby nodded.

"She's way older than she looks."

Sam sat up, a smile spreading across his face.

"So if Lilith is the only one who can break this seal, if I get to her in time…"  
"Lucifer never busts out of his cage. Exactly."

Sam leaned over and pressed his lips to Ruby's. She laughed, and Sam did too, as he pulled back.

"Do you know where she is?"

Ruby smiled.

"Maybe. I might can be persuaded to tell you, if…"

Sam smiled, pulling the covers away from her. He kissed her neck, her collarbone, the side of her breast, her stomach, then—

"Oh my God, _Sam_."

* * *

 

Sam walked out of the bathroom buttoning his shirt, his hair still wet from his shower.

"You're sure that's where she'll be?"

Ruby smiled, spread out on the couch.

"Have I ever steered you wrong?"

Sam looked down and Ruby let out a laugh.

"Okay, I'm not 100% sure, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out."

Sam nodded, and Ruby rolled her knife between her fingers.

"Here's the thing. If you're going to be strong enough to kill Lilith, you're going to need more than I can give you right now."

Sam sighed, and Ruby stood up.

"Sam, come on. It's okay."   
"I know. I know I need more, and it's okay. I just … I wish he'd trusted me, you know?"

Ruby reached up, running her fingers through his hair.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Sam looked down, taking Ruby's hand in his.

"I just hope… When this is all over … I hope we can fix things."

Ruby leaned up, pressing a kiss to Sam's cheek.

"I hope so, too."

* * *

 

Melinda hung up the phone and looked over to Dean.

"Bobby said the cops found that Escalade in a ditch outside Elk River. We're about an hour or so from there. There's a town near it, Cold Spring. Bobby said it's lighting up with demon signs."  
"Might as well check it out."

Dean kept his eyes on the road, and Melinda sighed.

"Honey…"   
"What is it, Mel?"

She reached over and took his hand. He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles and she smiled.

"Bobby said something that stuck with me."  
"What?"  
"This, getting Sam… Dean, it needs to be about getting him back, not pushing him away. I know you're mad, and you have every right to be, but … You're the only one who can get through to him, baby."

Dean stared at the road, nodding. Melinda sighed and settled back, then sat up again.

"Hey, Cold Spring. Guess we're closer than we thought."

The took the exit, driving through the town. Dean passed by motels, ones Melinda would have gone in and checked out, since they matched nearly exactly what they always stayed in. He drove past a Best Western and Melinda let out a gasp.

"Turn back."

Dean looked over at her, as she laid a hand against her forehead. He turned the car around, pulling into the Best Western's parking lot. Melinda let out a sharp breath.

"This is it. Ruby's here."  
"You sure?"

Melinda nodded.

"This hasn't happened in a while, Dean. But I remember. It hurts. She's here."

Dean nodded.

"Do you want to stay in the car?"

Melinda groaned, laying her other hand to her head.

"I don't think I can stand it, Dean."   
"It's okay, baby. I'll be fine. Stay here."

Melinda nodded as Dean leaned over and kissed her temple. He climbed out of the car and started walking, when Melinda rolled her window down.

"Honeymoon suite, Dean. That's where they are."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from the SPN Season 4 episode "When the Levee Breaks."


	43. Losing My Religion

Ruby was packing up the last of her bag when she heard the floor creak behind her. She turned around and let out a gasp as Dean struck out with his knife, cutting her arm. Ruby fought him as best she could, until Dean raised the knife, pulling it back.

"No!"

Dean turned around in time to see Sam wrench the knife from his hand, tossing it aside. Ruby backed away, ending up behind Sam. When Sam had taken the knife from Dean, he had accidentally sent his big brother falling by the bed. Sam stood in front of Dean, holding his hands up, as Ruby cowered behind him.

"Take it easy, Dean."

Dean let out a laugh as he got to his feet.

"Well, it must have been some party you two had going, considering how hard you tried to keep me from crashing it! Well, solid effort, Sammy, but here I am."  
"Dean, I'm glad you're here."

Ruby rolled her eyes, while Sam kept talking.

"Can we just talk about this?"

Dean nodded.

"Soon as she's dead, we can talk about whatever you want."

Sam let out a sigh, clearly torn. He turned his head back.

"Ruby, get out of here."  
"No, she's not going anywhere!"

Dean went for Ruby, but Sam stopped him, holding him back. Ruby ran to the door, throwing it open and taking off. Dean blew out his breath, then turned to Sam.

"She is poison, Sam!"  
"It's not what you think."  
"Look what she did to you!"

Sam's face changed, but Dean went on.

"She up and vanishes for weeks at a time, leaves you cracking out for another hit—"  
"She was searching for Lilith!"

Dean let out a laugh, shaking his head.

"That is French for 'manipulating your ass 10 ways from Sunday'!"  
"You're wrong, Dean."

The hurt was apparent on Dean's face. He slowly shook his head.

"You're lying to yourself, Sam! I just want you to be okay. You would do the same thing for me. You know you would!"

Sam sighed, running a hand over his face.

"Listen. Just listen to me, for a second. We have a lead on Lilith. Come with us. We'll do this together."

Dean smiled.

"That sounds great. Just as long as it's you and me. Demon bitch is a deal-breaker. Kiss her goodbye and we can go right now."

Sam stared at him for a moment, then shook his head.

"I can't. I need her to help me kill Lilith."

Dean turned away from him, putting a hand over his mouth. Sam kept talking.

"Dean, I know you can't wrap your head around this, but maybe one day you'll understand. I'm the only one who can do this, Dean!"

Dean turned around, staring at Sam before shaking his head.

"No, you're not the one who's going to do this."

Sam blew out his breath.

"Oh, right. I forgot. The angels think it's you."

Dean's face hardened.

"You don't think I can?"  
"No, I don't. You're not strong enough."  
"And you are? Who the hell are you?"  
"Dean, I'm being practical here. I'm doing what needs to be done."

Dean smiled.

"You're not going to do a single damn thing."  
"Stop bossing me around, Dean!"

Sam had to stop, take in a few breaths. Dean's smile faded as he watched his little brother try to gain control. After a moment, Sam turned to him.

"Look. My whole life, you take the wheel, you call the shots, and I trust you, because you are my brother. Now, I'm asking you, for once, trust me!"

Dean looked down, then back to Sam.

"No. You don't know what you're doing, Sam."  
"Yes, I do!"  
"Then that's worse! Because it's no longer something that you're doing, it's what you are! It means-"

Tears filled Sam's eyes. Dean's heart broke at the sight, but he couldn't back down. Not now. Dean shook his head, but Sam looked at him.

"No. Say it."

Dean closed his eyes, then turned to Sam and looked him right in the eyes.

"It means you're a monster."

Sam nodded, the tear that rolled down his face identical to the one rolling down Dean's. Sam turned away, then back to Dean, letting out a grunt as he laid a punch on Dean's cheek. Dean fell, because he hadn't been expecting the blow, and he slowly got back to his feet. He turned to Sam, landing a punch right on Sam's jaw. Dean kept landing punches, until Sam got the upper hand, hitting him in the face before throwing him against a mirror. Dean turned back from the mirror, his ears ringing, lunging for Sam, but Sam was ready. He took hold of Dean, tossing him through the panel separating the bedroom from the living room of the suite, and Dean crashed through a glass table. Dean groaned on the floor, and Sam walked over, bending down over Dean and locking his hands around Dean's throat. Dean was gasping when the door flew open.

"What the hell—Sam! Stop!"

Melinda stepped inside and threw out her arm. Sam went flying backwards and Dean gasped, coughing as Melinda knelt beside him, taking his head into her lap. Sam groaned, shaking glass and broken wood pieces around him as he stood up. Melinda looked up to Sam, who walked over, breathing hard as he looked down at his brother. Sam nearly spit out the words.

"You don't know me. You never have. And you never will."

Sam turned away from them, and Dean took in a rough breath, speaking harshly.

"You walk out that door … Don't you ever come back!"

Sam locked eyes with Dean, then turned, walking out the door and slamming it shut behind him. Melinda let out a breath as she ran her hand over Dean's face. He went to sit up, then groaned as he laid back down. Melinda brought a washcloth from the bathroom to her hand, and used it to wipe the blood from Dean's lip and nose. They didn't say a word, and after a little while, Dean was able to stand up. He groaned, pain radiating through his ribs, his face, his back. Melinda helped him walk down to the elevator, and loaded him into the backseat of the Impala. The drive to Bobby's was quiet, and Bobby met them on the porch when Melinda was helping Dean from the car. They helped Dean crawl into bed, and Bobby and Melinda held a meeting in Bobby's kitchen. Bobby started to make coffee.

"Oh, screw it."

He brought a bottle of Jack Daniel's and two glasses to the table. He poured them each a glass, and Melinda raised hers toward him before throwing it back. She let out a breath at the burn.

"This is bad, Bobby."  
"No, it's worse."

Melinda smiled as he poured her another shot. She downed it like the first, shaking her head as she let out a breath.

"Maybe you should take it easy, Mel."

She shook her head.

"What I saw… Sam beat the hell out of him, Bobby. And by the time I got there, Sam was strangling him. I … I thought he was going to kill him. I threw Sam across the room, right through a panel-thing and a glass table. And it didn't even phase him. He got up and walked out."  
"Damn."

Melinda nodded.

"I don't know if they can come back from this, Bobby."  
"Don't say that, Mel."

Bobby downed his whiskey, reaching for the bottle again. Melinda let out a sigh and motioned with her glass. Bobby filled her up again.

"The things they said to each other. And I didn't even hear most of it. I did hear—"

She shook her head, sipping the liquor this time. Bobby looked over to her,

"What?"

She sighed.

"Sam was at the door, about to leave. I had Dean's head in my lap, and he was bleeding, and breathing hard, and he looked up to Sam. He told him 'If you walk out that door, don't you ever come back.' And Sam looked down at him, and slammed the door behind him."

Bobby threw back the whiskey in his glass, then slammed it on the table.

"Damn fool! He's just like his daddy. Son of a bitch."

Melinda looked at him for a second, as Bobby stood up and paced the kitchen. She took in a breath.

"Oh my God, that's what John said to Sam, wasn't it?"  
"The night the boy left for Stanford, that's the last thing John said to him. And they didn't speak for almost three years after that."

Melinda closed her eyes, then downed the rest of her drink. Bobby was staring at the bottle, and Melinda stood up, walking over to lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on. Let's go to bed, and we can figure this all out in the morning."

Bobby nodded, wrapping an arm around her as they walked up the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's "When the Levee Breaks."


	44. I Will Remember You

New Harmony, Indiana.

Sam would never be able to forget that place. It was the place where his greatest nightmare had come true. Of course, he didn't realize what his greatest nightmare was until it happened. He'd always thought it had been losing his mother. But he was way too young to even try to remember her, so it never really bothered him. Then it became losing his dad. But the older he got, the more he clashed with his dad, so when it really came down to it, walking away from the old man wasn't really that hard for him.

Walking away from Dean was another story. Dean had always been there, for as long as Sam could remember. They didn't have a mom, and their dad's parenting skills were sporadic and sub-par, at best. Dean had stepped up, because it was his job to look out for Sammy. Sam couldn't even remember all the times he'd heard his dad say:

Look out for Sam.   
Take care of your brother, Dean.   
Sammy needs you, Dean. Watch out for him.

Sam honestly never worried much about anything, because he knew Dean always had his back. Anything bad came up, Sam knew his big brother would take care of it. Sam didn't even remember dying, but not that it mattered, because Dean brought him back. Faced with the possibility of having to go through life without his big brother, well… That was something Sam couldn't handle. And it wasn't until New Harmony, when the clock was striking twelve that Sam's worst nightmare materialized.

No one else got to see that smile Dean gave him or the brave face he put on, even though he was scared out of his mind. No one else knew that Dean's last request was for Sam to take care of Melinda. No one else got to see Dean ripped to shreds by that damn hellhound. No one else got to see the life slowly dim out of those green eyes as his blood pooled on the floor. No one but Sam.

And Lilith.

That's why he wanted to kill the bitch. She took his brother away, absolutely tore him to pieces while Sam stood helplessly by. Even though Dean was back and he was fine, the things Sam had seen, the things Sam had seen every single night since haunted him. And it was all Lilith's fault. Dean didn't understand. Bobby didn't understand. Peyton … Well, Peyton understood. Peyton, who he had broken, had understood, because she could feel it, too.

He wanted Lilith to suffer the way he had suffered. The way he was still suffering. She would pay, and pay with her life, and soon.

* * *

 

"Sam? Your head in the game here?"

Sam looked behind him, saw Ruby staring at him. He was outside, standing by a car. How long had he been here? How long had Ruby been calling his name? He turned to her.

"You okay?"

Sam nodded, and Ruby sighed, resting her forearms on top of the car.

"Look, I know handholding isn't really my forte, but Dean was wrong. Saying what he said to you—"

Ruby shook her head, and Sam spoke up.

"No, he was right to say it. I don't blame him, after what I did."

Ruby looked down, then back to Sam.

"Well, after we're done, you two will patch things up. You always do."   
"You're talking like I've got an after."  
"Sam, don't say that."

He looked away from her, out over a field.

"I can feel it, Ruby. I've changed, for good. There's no going back now. I know what I've got to do, and it's okay. Right now … Dean's better off as far away from me as possible."

* * *

 

Dean's first memory is of his mother. He had fallen outside and skinned his knee. He ran inside, crying, and Mary had been right there, taking him into her arms. She carried him into the bathroom, where she sat him on the closed toilet lid and sang to him as she doctored his knee. She always sang _Hey Jude_ to him, because it was her favorite Beatles song, and it was comforting to him. She laid a Band-Aid across his knee and smiled.

_"There,"_ she'd said. _"All better."_

Dean had held out his arms and Mary smiled as she picked him up, holding him close to her, running her hand through his sandy brown hair. He ran his hands through her soft blonde curls, and had pulled back from her when he felt something odd against her stomach.

"Mama, what was that?"

Mary had smiled, setting Dean down in a chair in the kitchen.

"That was your brother, sweetheart."  
"Well, where is he?"

Mary let out a laugh, sitting beside Dean. She pointed to her belly.

"He's right here."

Dean leaned over, pressing a hand to Mary's rounded stomach, and his eyes had grown wide when he felt a kick. Mary smiled, reaching over to tousle his hair again.

"I think he likes you, honey."

And Dean's first memory, like all his memories, had included his little brother. Five months after that, Samuel John Winchester was born, and Dean's life had never been the same. Dean was too young for school, so he stayed home with Mary and baby Sammy all day. Mary could hardly turn around without Dean picking Sammy up, holding him, wanting to give him his bottle. Whenever Sam would start to cry, Dean would walk over to him.

"What's the matter, Sammy? Everything's okay."

Mary must have heard those sentences a hundred times a day. And every single time, Sam would stop crying. The first person he smiled at was Dean. First word he ever said was "Dean." Dean had always loved Sammy, since the first moment they met, but on the night that Sam turned 6 months old… John had scooped Sam out of the crib just before it caught fire. He ran into the hallway with the baby in his arms, and little four-year-old Dean stood there.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

John hadn't even thought twice. He didn't have time to. He thrust baby Sammy into Dean's arms, saying the words that still burned in Dean's mind to this day.

_"Take your brother outside as fast as you can. Don't look back. Now, Dean, go!"_

And he had. He'd ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, holding onto his baby brother as tightly as he could. And from that moment on, Sam had been his responsibility. He'd always watched out for Sam. When kids at school would pick on him for being so smart, Dean would pound their little heads in. When John would get on Sam's ass about something, Dean would step in, normally taking the blame himself. So when Sam died, the only logical thing Dean could do was to sacrifice himself for his brother. There had been no other option. Dean couldn't go through the rest of his life without his brother.

So how in the hell had it come to this?

How had his baby brother, the one he'd looked out for, the one he'd practically raised, the one he'd given his life for, be addicted to demon blood? Not only that, but how had Sam chosen a demon over his own brother? Sure, she was pretty, but come on. That hell-bitch was nothing; Dean was family. Maybe if Dean hadn't gone to hell, then none of this would have happened. Of course, as Melinda had pointed out one day, if Dean had never gone to hell, that would mean Sam was dead. But honestly, right now?

Dean couldn't decide which option would be the worst.

* * *

 

"Dean? Are you listening to me?"

Dean glanced back at Bobby, seeing Melinda back behind him.

"Yeah, I heard you. I'm not calling him."

Melinda sighed, whispering "stubborn ass" under her breath. Bobby stared at Dean's back.

"Don't make me get my gun, boy."

Dean turned around, looking at both of them.

"We are setting up for kickoff for damn Armageddon. I think we might just have bigger fish at the moment."   
"I know you're pissed, and I'm not making apologies for what he's done. But he's your—"   
"Blood? Is that what you were going to say? He's my blood?"

Melinda sighed, and Bobby locked eyes with Dean.

"Brother. He's your brother, and he's drowning."   
"I tried to help him, Bobby. I did. Look what happened."  
"So try again."

Dean shook his head, and Bobby glanced back to Melinda. Dean let out a breath.

"It's too late."  
"There's no such thing, honey."  
"No, damn it!"

Dean turned back to face them.

"Can we face facts here? Sam never wanted to be part of this family. Hell, he hated this life growing up. Took off for Stanford first chance he got. Now it's like déjà vu all over again."

Melinda shut her eyes, and Dean made his way to the couch.

"Well, I am sick and tired of chasing after him. Screw him; he can do what he wants."   
"You don't mean that."   
"I do, Bobby. Sam's gone. I'm not even sure he's my brother anymore. I don't know if he ever was."

Melinda let out a long sigh, and Bobby turned around, hanging his head. After a second, Bobby let his arms come up, sending everything on his desk crashing to the floor. Melinda jumped to her feet as Bobby went for Dean.

"You stupid, stupid son of a bitch! I am so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess!"

Dean stood up, and Bobby was right in his face. Melinda could only stand back, open-mouthed, and listen to Bobby.

"Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good? Bake you an apple pie, maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable, that's why they're family!"

Melinda just blinked, until Dean stepped up.

"I told him 'You walk out that door, you don't come back,' and he walked out anyway! That was his choice."   
"You sound like a whiny brat."

Melinda stifled her laughter, and Dean walked away. Bobby turned to face him.

"No. No, you sound like your dad. And let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward."

Dean stopped, slowly turning around. Melinda had only seen that look on his face once.

"My dad was a lot of things, Bobby. But a coward?"   
"He'd rather push Sam away than reach out to him. And that don't strike me as brave."

Bobby stepped closer to Dean.

"You are a better man than your daddy ever was. So do us a favor? Don't be him."

Dean turned to the window, and Melinda watched him. He turned back, taking a step, and he disappeared. Melinda jumped up, and Bobby was staring at the place where Dean had just been.

"What the hell was that?"

Melinda looked around the room.

"Where did he go?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's "Lucifer Rising."


	45. The Final Countdown

Melinda paced the room, running her hands through her hair. Bobby closed his cell phone with a curse.

"Voicemail."   
"Oh, damn it. Where did he go, Bobby?"

Bobby shook his head, running a hand over his face. He turned to Melinda.

"Do you think it was the angels?"

Melinda's eyes widened.

"Oh, those sons of bitches."

Melinda pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number.

"Peyton? It's Mel. I need your help."

* * *

 

Dean was in a room. A very nice, quite ornate room, with white walls and large paintings. He walked around, appreciating the set-up, trying to understand the paintings on the walls. He turned back to the table, stopping when he saw what was on it. Hadn't it been empty a second ago? He walked over, seeing his favorite beer on ice. He picked one up, fairly sure it was the perfect temperature. Yeah, he'd just rather not drink the Kool-Aid, if it was at all possible. He set the beer back down, glancing over at the pile of steaming cheeseburgers. No, his mouth was not watering.

"Hello, Dean."

Dean glanced up, blowing out his breath when he saw Zachariah and Castiel standing before him.

"What is this? Where the hell am I?"

Zachariah smiled, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Call it a green room. We're closing in on the grand finale here, Dean. We want to keep you safe until showtime. Here."

Zachariah reached over and picked up a burger.

"Have a burger. They're your favorite. From that seaside shack in Delaware? You were 11, I think."

Dean flashed back to his 11-year-old self, happily chowing down on the burger as he sat in the front seat of the Impala. John had just smiled, shaking his head. Sammy had been in the backseat, playing with those stupid Army men like he always did, ignoring that one he'd shoved into the ashtray when he'd been 4. Dean had turned to John with his mouth full.

_"This is the best burger ever, Dad. My favorite!"_

Dean looked from the burger back to Zachariah before shaking his head.

"I'm not hungry."  
"No?"

Zachariah set the burger back down. Dean ran his hand over the back of his neck.

"Can you just fill me in on the game plan here?"

Zachariah smiled.

"Let us worry about that. We want you focused and relaxed."  
"Well, I'm about to be pissed and leaving. So start talking, Chuckles."

Zachariah sighed, and in the back of the room, Castiel hung his head. Zachariah started walking slowly around the room, and Dean watched him. Zachariah took in a breath.

"All the seals have fallen. All except one."

Dean blinked.

"Well, that's an impressive score. That's right up there with the Cleveland Browns, isn't it?"   
"You think sarcasm's appropriate? Considering you started all this?"

Dean shut his mouth. Zachariah went on.

"The final seal will be different. Lilith has to break it. She's the only one who can. Tomorrow night, midnight."  
"Where?"   
"We're working on that."  
"Well, work harder."  
"We'll do our job. You make sure you do yours."  
"Yeah, and what is that exactly?"

Dean set his hands on his hips.

"I'm supposed to be the one who stops her, right? How? With the knife?"  
"All in good time."  
"Isn't now a pretty damn good time?"

Zachariah turned to face Dean.

"Have faith."   
"What, in you? Give me one good reason why I should."

Zachariah walked over, stopping right in front of Dean, locking eyes with him.

"Because you swore your obedience. So obey."

And with that, the angels were gone. Dean let out a sigh, beginning to pace the room.

* * *

 

Melinda knelt in the middle of Bobby's library, setting the crystal down. She stood back up, surveying the scene, then looked into dark brown eyes.

"You sure this will work?"

Peyton smiled.

"What other choice do we have? I talked to Mom and Aunt Piper, and they both said this was our best bet. And Aunt Piper sent all this stuff with me, so we should be set."   
"Yeah, 'should be.' I just …"   
"Mel, calm down. It'll be fine."

Melinda sighed, walking over to Peyton.

"But this is what they used to summon a specific angel. We don't even know if the angel of destiny has any idea what's going on!"  
"Aunt Piper said we just need to tweak the wording a little bit. If we specifically call for Cas, it should work just fine."  
"Should. This "maybe, maybe not" shit is not making me feel better, Peyton."   
"Have you figured out your spell yet?"

Melinda squirmed, then nodded.

"All right then. Let's hear it."

Peyton walked over, dropping herbs into a big bowl. Melinda let out a breath. She looked over, and Peyton finally nodded to her.

_"I summon you now,_   
_Pain in my ass,_   
_Bring before me the angel Cas."_

Peyton put her hands on her hips.

"Seriously?"   
"It's all I could think of that rhymed with 'Cas.' You try rhyming 'Castiel'."

Peyton sighed, but stepped forward.

_"Help is needed;_   
_We cast this spell._   
_Bring before us the angel Castiel."_

Melinda rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sure. That was so much better."  
"Hey, at least I didn't-"

They stopped as lights began to swirl in the middle of the crystals. Castiel appeared there, and Melinda moved her hand, setting the last crystal in place. Castiel reached out a hand, pulling it back as the cage was activated and shocked him. Peyton shook her head.

"I can't believe it worked."  
"Touche, Peyton."   
"What is this about?"

Melinda and Peyton looked to Castiel. Melinda smiled.

"Long time no see, Cas."  
"What do you want?"

Melinda widened and blinked her eyes, and Peyton sighed.

"Mel, he's not trying to make you mad. He just—"  
"I'll cut to the chase. Where the hell is Dean? What did you do with him?"

Castiel sighed.

"I'm not at liberty to say."  
"Well, you best get at liberty."

Castiel sighed, looking around his cage.

"Let me out of here."   
"Not until you tell me where Dean is."  
"Melinda, I can't."   
"Can't or won't? It's something big, I know. And bad, I can only imagine."   
"Just let me out, please."

Melinda shook her head, stepping closer to the cage.

And Peyton and Castiel watched her disappear. Peyton rushed over to the spot where Melinda had been. She looked over at the angel.

"Where did she go?"   
"Zachariah must have taken her, too."  
"Zachariah? Cas, you better tell me what's going on, right now."

* * *

 

Melinda stared around the room, without a clue as to where she was or how she'd gotten there. The walls were stark white, with gold trim, and big paintings. There were expensive-looking vases and figurines throughout the room.

"Hello?"

Melinda's voice echoed through the big, empty room. She was starting to feel a tad bit uneasy, and for this particular witch, that put her powers on a hair-trigger. She glanced around, tensing up when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hello, Melinda. You're looking well."

She turned to see Zachariah smiling at her, and she blew out her breath.

"Oh, come on!"

* * *

 

Peyton was breathing hard, her mouth hanging open.

"You're sure about this?"   
"You know everything that I do."

Peyton moved and kicked one of the crystals out of its spot, and the cage dissipated. Castiel stepped over to her.

"Cas, you have to get them out. Bring them here. And hurry."  
"I don't know how, Peyton."   
"Yes, you do. You can figure something out. Castiel, you have to. We can't let this happen."

Castiel let out a long sigh, then locked eyes with Peyton. She nodded to him, and he gave her one nod, then he was gone. Peyton let out a breath before running to the stairs.

"Bobby! Hurry, I need your help!"

* * *

 

Dean was pacing around his room, and finally pulled his phone from his pocket. He flipped it open, pressing the number "1" and holding it down. A second later, a recording filled his ear.

_"It's Sam. Leave me a message."_

Dean sighed.

"Hey, uh… It's me."

He cleared his throat.

"Listen, I'm still pissed. And I owe you a serious beat-down. But … I shouldn't have said what I said. I'm not dad, you know. We're brothers. We're family, and no matter how bad it gets, that doesn't change. Sammy, I'm sorry—"

The phone beeped, and Dean nodded, shutting the phone and sliding it back in his pocket.

* * *

 

Sam scrolled through his laptop while Ruby cleaned her weapons. They were in some hole-in-the-wall motel in some hole-in-the-wall town in Indiana. Sam found an article and clicked on it.

"Hey, you said Maryland, right?"   
"Yeah, Ilchester, I think?"

Sam scrolled through the article, his eyes growing wide.

"You've got to be kidding me."  
"What?"

Ruby stayed where she was, focused on her task.

"St. Mary's Convent, Ilchester, Maryland. It was abandoned in 1972 after a priest disemboweled eight nuns."

Ruby looked up from her weapons with a smile.

"What's black and white and red all over?"

Sam smiled.

"That's not funny."

Ruby shrugged her shoulders, still smiling.

"The priest said it wasn't his fault. Said a demon made him do it, and he even remembered the demon's name."

Ruby glanced over her shoulder, and Sam locked eyes with her.

"Azazel."

Ruby walked over to Sam, looking over his shoulder, then hopping up on the table.

"So we got Lilith, Yellow Eyes… All the A-Listers paying visits. Gives the joint credibility."  
"It's got to be where the final seal goes down."   
"Well, then. Let's hit the road. See if we can't pick you up a little snack on the way."

Ruby smiled as she grabbed her bag, and Sam loaded up his laptop, following after her.

* * *

 

Melinda stood with her arms crossed, staring at Zachariah, who just smiled.

"Oh, come on. Don't be so belligerent."  
"Sorry, it's a primary aspect of my personality when it comes to you."

Zachariah smiled, and Melinda blew out her breath.

"What am I doing here? And where is Dean?"

Zachariah's smile grew, and he put his hands in his pockets.

"I don't have much time, so I'll give you the CliffsNotes version. You have a tendency to get in the way when we want to do something. Here, you'll be out of our hair and our plan can go off without a hitch."  
"What plan?"

Zachariah turned to her.

"65 seals have been broken. We're down to the final one. Numero uno, my dear."   
"Then why am I here? We have to stop it!"

Zachariah looked up, then over to her, giving her a smile that sent a chill down her spine. And Melinda's heart thudded in her chest.

"Oh my God. You don't want to stop it."   
"Nope. Never did."

Zachariah let out a laugh.

"Make yourself comfy, kiddo. The Apocalypse is coming, to a theater near you."

And with that, he was gone. Melinda's breath came fast, and she ran her hands through her hair as the walls seemed to start closing in on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's "Lucifer Rising."


	46. Landslide

Dean paced his room, already bored with it. He walked over to an angel figurine, and he felt some sick sense of pleasure when he gently pushed it over, shattering it on the floor. He looked up, into the blue eyes of Castiel.

"You wanted to see me?"

Dean felt just a tiny bit guilty for smashing the statue, but he shook it off.

"I need a favor."  
"Anything."   
"I need to see Sam."

Castiel faltered.

"Why?"  
"There's something I need to talk to him about."  
"What's that?"

Dean blinked.

"Just take me to Sam."   
"I don't think that's wise."

Castiel looked away, refusing to meet Dean's eyes. Dean took a step closer to the angel.

"I didn't ask you for your opinion."

Castiel turned to face Dean.

"Have you forgotten what happened the last time you met?"

Dean's face hardened, and he bit his tongue for a second. He took in a breath, locking eyes with the angel.

"No, I haven't forgotten. That's the whole point. Listen, I'm going to do whatever you guys want, okay? I just need to tie up this one thing. Five minutes, that's all I'll need."

Castiel listened, took a second to think.

"No."

Dean took a step back.

"What do you mean, 'No'? Are you saying I'm trapped here?"  
"You can go wherever you want."   
"Fine. I want to go see Sam."   
"Except there."

Dean tried not to feel like the walls were closing in on him. He turned back to Castiel.

"I want to take a walk."  
"Fine. I'll go with you."  
"No, I want to go alone."  
"No."

Dean smiled, shaking his head.

"Screw this bullshit. I'm out of here."

He walked past Castiel, going towards the door. Castiel waited a beat, then spoke.

"Through what door?"

Dean turned back, as the angel turned to face him. Dean shook his head with a smile, then turned to go. Only now, instead of a door, there was a wall. A table stood in front of the wall, with a few candles on top of it. Dean turned back to Castiel, who had a small smile on his face. Dean laid a hand on the wall, and when he turned back, he was alone.

"Damn it."

* * *

 

Driving down the road, Ruby rolled her eyes as Sam looked down at his phone, seeing the One New Voicemail message. He'd done the same thing about five times in the last ten minutes. Ruby sighed as Sam ran his thumb over the screen.

"What are you, a 12-year-old girl? Play it already."  
"Would you mind your own business?"

Ruby let out a laugh. Sam sighed, looking out the window. She watched the road for a minute, then turned to look at him.

"Hey, Sasquatch. What'cha thinking about?"

He shook his head.

"You're not losing your balls now, are you?"   
"Shut up, Ruby."

He had one of his patented bitch faces on now. Ruby rolled her eyes again and sighed.

"We're in the final lap here, Sam. Now's not the time to—"   
"I said shut up, Ruby!"

She nodded her head, watching the road. Sam let out a sigh.

"I'm just starting to think that … maybe Dean was right."  
"About what?"   
"Everything."

Of course, he would pick now to find his damn conscience. Ruby had smashed her Jiminy Cricket a long time ago. She thought Sam had too, but maybe not. Ruby let out a sigh, then spoke quietly.

"We're going to see this through, right, Sam?"

He didn't answer her, just stared out the window.

"Sam?"

* * *

 

Melinda was curled up in a ball on the floor, her arms around her knees, rocking back and forth. She had her eyes squeezed shut, and she was whispering the lyrics of _Bohemian Rhapsody_ over and over again. She'd never really had a problem with claustrophobia, but it was sure kicking in now. She heard a rustling behind her, but she wouldn't open her eyes. Whoever it was had a free shot. She felt hands on her shoulder and her back, before she heard a gruff voice.

"Melinda? Are you all right?"

She opened her eyes, looking into the deep blue of Castiel's eyes. She reached out and grabbed his trench coat, sobbing out her words.

"Cas, please. I'm begging you. I'll do whatever you want, just get me out of this room. Take me somewhere open, please!"

She felt his hands tighten on her, and she let out a sigh when she felt a breeze on her face. She opened her eyes to see that she was in a meadow, surrounded by trees and wildflowers.

"Oh, thank God. Thank you, Cas."  
"I didn't realize you were claustrophobic."   
"Yeah, neither did I."

Melinda sighed and stood up, feeling the sunshine on her skin. She looked over to Castiel.

"Zachariah told me he's going to let Lilith break the final seal."

Castiel sighed, and Melinda's voice was quiet.

"I don't know how you can just do that. All those people… Just pawns in a game. They don't have a clue. All my life, I've been taught that I'm supposed to save the innocents, and now… Now, the angels are just going to let them die. The people I thought always looked out for us… They're just going to sit back while Hell takes over."

She turned to look at Castiel, the hurt evident on her face.

"How can you just do that? How can you stand back and watch the world be ripped in two? And for what?"

She shook her head.

"I thought higher of you, Cas. I never thought you'd just let this happen."

Melinda glanced down at the wildflowers dancing at her feet and felt the gust of wind behind her. She turned, and just as she was expecting, she was alone.

* * *

 

Dean slammed the heavy candlestick into the wall again and again. He broke through the wall, hitting the sheetrock, and when he pulled back again, he stopped. He ran a hand over the smooth wall, showing no trace of his destruction. He threw the candlestick on the floor, running a hand over his face.

"Son of a bitch."   
"You done?"

Dean turned back, seeing Zachariah and walked over to him.

"Let me out of here."  
"I told you, it's too dangerous out there. Demons on the prowl."  
"I've been getting my ass kicked for the past year, really, my whole life, and now you're sweating my safety? You're lying."

Zachariah just watched him, and Dean narrowed his eyes.

"I want to see my brother."

Zachariah made a face.

"That's … ill-advised."

Dean blew out his breath.

"You know, I am so sick of your crap riddles and your smug fat face. What the hell is going on?! Why can't I see Sam? And how am I supposed to ice Lilith?"

Zachariah turned away from Dean, walking towards a couch.

"You're not … going to ice Lilith."

Dean stopped, not moving or breathing.

"What?"   
"Lilith's going to break the final seal. That is a done deal, train's left the station."

Dean let that sink in for a moment, then shook his head.

"No. No, we can stop this. Sam and Mel and I, we can …"

He let his sentence trail off when he saw the smile on Zachariah's face. Dean let out a long breath, closing his eyes before focusing on the angel in front of him.

"You don't want to stop it, do you?"

Zachariah's smile grew.

"Nope. Never did. Apocalypse Now is inching closer and closer."

Dean swallowed hard.

"So what was all that crap about saving seals?"

Zachariah shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, we couldn't very well tell the grunts on the ground the whole truth. We'd have a full scale rebellion on our hands! Come on, Dean. Do you really think we'd let 65 seals get broken unless senior management wanted it that way?"

Dean ran a hand over his face.

"But why?"  
"Why not? Calling it 'The Apocalypse' is bad marketing. Puts people off. In all actuality, it's Ali-Foreman. On a slightly larger scale."

Zachariah stood up, buttoning his suit jacket.

"We like our chances. When our side wins—and we will—it's paradise on Earth. What's not to like about that?"

Dean glanced around, noticing that the paintings on the walls had changed. Harsh, almost terrifying fight scenes between demons and angels lined the walls. Dean felt his heart stumble in his chest. He spoke, but his voice was quiet and hoarse.

"What happens to all the people during your little pissing contest?"

Zachariah let out a sigh, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Or in this case, millions of eggs. But you get the picture, right?"

Dean felt sick to his stomach, and Zachariah stepped closer. Dean turned to face him.

"What about Sam? He won't go quietly. He will stop Lilith."   
"Sam…"

Zachariah took a step, then turned back to Dean.

"Sam has a part to play. A very important part, mind you. He may need a little nudging, but I'll make sure that he plays it."

Dean's face lost all color as he stepped towards the angel.

"What does that mean? What … what are you going to do to him?"

Zachariah let out a breath.

"Sam, Sam, Sam. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Forget about him, would you?"

Dean had never wanted to rip someone apart as badly as he wanted to right that second. Zachariah smiled and laid a hand on Dean's shoulder, nudging him towards a painting.

"You, Dean Winchester, have larger concerns."

Dean looked up at the painting, his eyes growing wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable comes from SPN Season 4's "Lucifer Rising."


	47. Like A Prayer

Melinda sat down in the grass, eyes closed, feeling the blades dance over her legs. She leaned back, letting the sun warm her body, as she tried to get her thoughts in order.

The Apocalypse was truly happening.

The angels were going to let it happen.

Dean was God knows where.

Sam was God knows where.

_She_ was God knows where.

And speaking of, just where was God?

Melinda struggled to take in a breath, and felt the breeze across her cheeks. She opened her eyes and moved around, sitting on her knees.

"God … I don't know if you're listening, but … Now would be the time for you to tune in. If you don't mind."

* * *

 

Dean stared up at the painting in front of him, the actually quite beautiful painting of a man on a horse. Zachariah smiled.

"Why do you think I'm confiding in you, Dean?"   
"Oh, is that what this is?"

Zachariah let out a laugh.

"You're still vital! We weren't lying about your destiny. We just … omitted a few details. But nothing's changed! You are chosen. You will stop it. Just not Lilith or the Apocalypse."   
"What are you talking about? If I don't stop Lilith, what the hell will I stop?"   
"Not what. _Who_."

Zachariah motioned back to the painting.

"Lucifer."

Dean's eyes grew wide, his breath catching in his throat.

"You're going to stop Lucifer. And when it's over … when you've won … your rewards will be unimaginable."

Dean couldn't take his eyes from the painting, and Zachariah began slowly walking around behind him, still talking. Did the bastard ever shut up?

"Peace. Happiness. Two virgins and seventy sluts?"

He let out a laugh, as Dean shot him a look.

"Oh, right. Sorry. Forgot about that little witch of yours."

Zachariah smiled, slapping Dean on the back.

"Trust me, kid. One day we'll look back on this and laugh."

Zachariah turned to go, and he was whistling. Actually whistling, for God's sake, and Dean spoke up.

"Tell me something. Where's God in all of this?"

Zachariah stopped walking, stopped whistling, glancing up.

"God? God has left the building."

Dean watched as Zachariah disappeared, before he turned back to the painting, his heart leaping to his throat. My God, he was supposed to stop Lucifer? Satan himself? Dean thought of calling for Castiel, but what good would that do? He ran a hand over his face and pulled his phone from his pocket.

"You can't reach him, Dean."

Dean turned around, and Castiel was in front of him. Dean swallowed.

"Tell me, what's going to happen to Sam? What are you going to do to him?"

Castiel sighed.

"Nothing. He's going to do it to himself."   
"What is that supposed to mean?"

Castiel looked down, and Dean nodded, a sad smile on his face.

"Right. Better toe that company line."

The angel brought his eyes back up, and Dean sighed.

"Why are you here, Cas?"

Castiel smiled softly.

"We've been through much together, you and I. I just wanted to say I'm sorry it ended like this."

Dean's eyes grew wide, but he nodded. He took a step back, then swung, hitting Castiel in the face with his fist. Castiel's head simply turned to the side, and Dean turned around, closing his eyes and cursing under his breath at the pain that was shooting through his hand. He finally let out a shaky sigh, and his words were clipped and harsh.

"It's Armageddon, Cas. You need a bigger word than 'sorry'!"

Castiel sighed.

"You have to understand, this is long foretold. This is your—"  
"Destiny? Come on, Cas. Don't give me that holy crap. God, destiny… It's all a bunch of lies, you poor, stupid son of a bitch! This is just a way for you bosses to keep you and me in line."

Dean let out a breath, turning back to face the angel.

"You know what's real? People. Families. That's real! And you're going to watch them all burn?"  
"What is so worth saving? I see nothing but pain here! I see inside you. I see your guilt, your anger, your confusion."

Castiel and Dean were nearly nose-to-nose now. The angel kept talking.

"In paradise, all is forgiven. You'll be at peace, even with Sam."

They held eyes for just a moment, until Castiel looked down. Dean waited a few heartbeats, then raised his eyebrows, forcing Castiel to look back at him. Dean spoke, much more calmly than he thought he would.

"You can take your peace and shove it up your ass. Because I'll take the pain. And the guilt. I'll even take Sam as is. I'd much rather be that than some Stepford bitch in paradise anytime!"

Dean could almost see the struggle inside Castiel. He took a breath.

"This is it, Cas. No more of that bullshit about being a good soldier. There is a right and there is a wrong here, and you know it."

Castiel turned away, but Dean grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.

"Look at me. You know it! You were going to help me once, weren't you?"

Castiel looked down, letting out a sigh. Dean nodded.

"I knew it. You were going to warn me about this, before they dragged you back to Bible camp. Help me now, Cas. Please!"

Castiel looked up, into Dean's eyes.

"What would you have me do?"   
"Get me to Sam! We can stop this before it's too late!"

Castiel shook his head.

"I do that, we'll all be hunted. We'll all be killed. You, me, Sam, Melinda."

Dean stopped, faltering just a bit.

"She'll go right with us, Cas. You know that."  
"Dean, I…"

Dean took a breath, then took the angel by the shoulders.

"If there is anything worth dying for … Cas, this is it."

Castiel locked eyes with him, then slowly looked down. Dean dropped his hands from Castiel's shoulders and took a step back.

"You spineless … soulless son of a bitch!"

Dean turned away, walking further from Castiel.

"What do you even care about dying? You're already dead. We're done."

Castiel felt the strangest feeling in his chest. For someone who had never been able to feel, it was quite disconcerting. He spoke quietly.

"Dean—"  
"We're _done_."

Dean's voice was quiet, but it hit Castiel louder than any forceful shout would have. Castiel stared at Dean's back, and with barely a sound, disappeared. Dean hung his head, gripping the sides of the table.

* * *

 

Sam stood by a sign, gently running his fingers over it. Ruby stood behind him, glancing at her watch. There was a demon in the trunk of their car, and Ruby was rolling her knife around her hands. She took another look at her watch and sighed.

"Sam, it's time. Are we doing this?"

Sam stared at the sign, speaking quietly.

"Just give me a minute."  
"Sam, come on."  
"Give me a damn minute, Ruby!"

She blew out a breath, looking back behind her.

"You better think fast."

Almost without realizing it, Sam reached in his pocket, pulling out his phone. He looked down at the message still on the screen, telling him that Dean had left him a voicemail. He let out a breath and pressed the button to listen. Dean's voice filled his ears and Sam closed his eyes.

_"Listen to me, you bloodsucking freak. Dad always said I'd either have to save you or kill you. Well, I'm giving you fair warning. I'm done trying to save you. You're a monster, Sam. A vampire. You're not you anymore, and there's no going back."_

A tear rolled down Sam's face as he listened to the message. He closed it out, putting his phone in his pocket. Ruby smiled, because she could hear the message, but dropped it before Sam turned around. She met his eyes, hers soft and full of sorrow. At least, that's what she hoped they looked like. Sam nodded at her.

"Do it."

The smile spread across Ruby's face as she went to go bleed the demon, and Sam followed behind her, resolved to what he had to do.

* * *

 

Melinda stood up, brushing the dirt off her knees and froze when she saw where she was. How in the hell did she get back in the room?

"Familiar position you were in, huh? On your knees."

Melinda turned to see Zachariah, his hands in his pockets. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What the hell do you want?"  
"I thought I'd made that pretty obvious."

She looked away, and Zachariah stepped closer to her.

"The way I see it, you've got two options. Option A: You be a good little girl and do what we say. Or, Option B: I can go ahead and kill you now, get you out of my way. It would give Dean the motivation he needs to do what we want him to do."

Melinda stared at him, her face giving no indication of the terror she felt inside.

"It doesn't matter what I do, or what I say, because you're going to get your way no matter what. Am I right?"

Zachariah smiled.

"Now we're getting somewhere!"

He stepped behind her, and Melinda closed her eyes. Zachariah ran a hand over her hair and Melinda fought not to throw up.

"Of course…"

Melinda opened her eyes as the angel spoke.

"There are other ways to go about this."

Melinda whirled around, throwing her hands up and Zachariah exploded. She let out a scream, shaking all over.

"You sick son of a bitch! God!"

She was frantic as she looked around the room, trying to find something, anything that she could use as a weapon. Zachariah wouldn't stay gone for long. She laid a hand on one of the paintings on the wall as she tried to look behind a table, and she gasped as a premonition took hold of her senses.

* * *

 

Dean stepped over to the table, eyeing the burgers that still sat there, still warm and smelling delicious. He let out a breath. He had the weirdest feeling, like if he ate one of the burgers, he would never be able to leave. And he laughed as _Hotel California_ began playing in his head. He hummed along as he reached for a burger, bringing it almost to his lips before he was pinned against the wall, the burger on the ground. Dean looked up, into the fierce blue eyes of Castiel, who was holding him against the wall with a hand over Dean's mouth. Dean finally registered what the look on the angel's face meant and he nodded. Castiel reached down, pulling Ruby's knife from Dean's pocket as he removed his hand from Dean's mouth. Dean just watched as Castiel drew the blade across his forearm. He dipped his fingers in the pool of blood, then began drawing on the wall. Dean's eyes grew wide when he realized that Castiel was drawing the same sigil that Anna had drawn all those months ago.

"Castiel! Do you mind telling me what in the hell you think you're doing?"

Castiel pressed his blood-covered hand against the wall, in the middle of the symbol, and Zachariah screamed as he disappeared. Dean let out a breath, as Castiel made a fist, the cut on his arm disappearing.

"He won't be gone long."

Castiel handed the knife back to Dean, who just stared at it in his hand until Castiel gripped his shoulder.

"Come on. There's somewhere we have to go."

Dean sucked in a breath, and suddenly, he was in another room, similar to the one he'd been in, yet slightly different. He noticed a painting on the wall, one of a scene he couldn't even put into words. The image sent a chill through him, and he couldn't even say why. But the sight under the painting, one he saw in his nightmares, stopped his heart.

Melinda lay there, crumpled on the floor, blood leaking from her nose, pale and motionless. Dean's breath caught in his throat before he lunged for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable comes from SPN Season 4's "Lucifer Rising."


	48. True Colors

Dean cradled Melinda in his arms.

"Mel? Baby, wake up. Hey. Come on, Mel. Open your eyes."

She stayed still, and Dean shot frantic eyes up to Castiel. He was busy, though, painting another blood sigil on the wall. And just as Castiel had been anticipating, Zachariah appeared in the room. He shot one look at Dean and Melinda before glancing over to Castiel.

"Castiel, you son of a—"

Zachariah screamed as Castiel laid his hand in the middle of the symbol again. Dean covered Melinda's face as the bright light shone, before Castiel knelt beside them. He laid two fingers to Melinda's forehead and she gasped. She sat up, scrambling to get away from Dean until she heard his voice.

"Mel! Honey, honey, it's me. You're okay. Everything's all right."   
"D—Dean?"  
"I'm right here, babe."

She threw her arms around him, and he gently rubbed her back.

"I was so scared. We didn't know where you were, and then I was here. Peyton… That bastard Zachariah is a creep. Bobby was so worried. Oh, Dean. I'm so glad you're all right!"

Dean smiled. Melinda's babbling made little to no sense to him, but he'd figure everything out later. She was okay, she was safe, in his arms where she belonged. Castiel stood up, glancing at the sigil on the wall. Dean helped Melinda to her feet, and the angel turned to them.

"We don't have much time. We have to get to Sam."

Dean nodded, and Melinda let out a breath.

"Oh my God!"  
"What? Mel, what is it?"

All of the color had run out of her face. Dean had the horrible feeling she might just pass out again.

"I – I saw it."   
"Saw what?"  
"The final seal."

Dean took hold of her hands, which were suddenly ice-cold. Castiel turned back to look at the painting, the one that made Dean so uneasy. Dean gripped Melinda's hands in his.

"What is it, baby? What did you see?"  
"I … I saw Sam and Lilith. We have to get to them, Dean."   
"No, honey. It'll be okay. Sam's going to stop Lilith. He'll kill her, stop her from breaking the final seal."

Melinda shook her head.

"No, that is the final seal."

Dean gave her a worried, confused look. Melinda sighed.

"Lilith's death breaks the final seal."  
"If she dies, the end begins."

Dean and Melinda turned to look at Castiel, who was standing under the painting. Now, easily seen in the painting, were Sam and Ruby, standing over Lilith's body, as a bright light shone from the ground. Melinda swallowed.

"If Lilith dies, Lucifer is freed."

Dean stared at the painting, specifically, at Sam.

"No. No, we can't let that happen. We have to get to Sam, now."

Dean turned to Castiel.

"Where is he?"

Castiel sighed.

"I don't know."

He stopped, turning to Dean and Melinda.

"But I know someone who does."

* * *

 

Peyton let out a breath when she appeared in the dirty, run-down house. She ignored the scream, because she'd been anticipating it, and simply held out a pair of glasses.

"Hi, Chuck. Sorry to bother you."  
"Do I know you?"

Peyton smiled as Chuck Shurley scrambled to put on his glasses.

"Yes and no. You've written about me, but we've never officially met. I'm Peyton."  
"Oh, holy crap. The books didn't do you justice. I didn't do you justice. You're so beautiful."

Peyton blushed.

"Thank you, Chuck. I appreciate that. But look. I came here for something very important."

Chuck nodded.

"Where is Sam?"

Chuck blinked behind his glasses, and Peyton sighed.

"I know you know where he is. You've seen it, right?"

Chuck nodded, looking away. Peyton felt a chill roll down her spine.

"It's bad, isn't it?"

Chuck nodded again, then shook his head.

"You're not in the story. Well, not that part. It's not the way it's supposed to go."  
"To hell with that, Chuck. Those damn angels have taken Dean and Melinda away from me, and if they're not going to answer my calls, I'm going to stop the damn Apocalypse myself! Now, tell me. Where the hell is Sam?"

* * *

 

Sam walked into the convent, chock full of demon blood. Ruby walked just behind him, a smug smile on her face. They made their way through the abandoned building, coming to a stop at the start of a long hallway. Sam looked down it, his eyes growing wide when they met the eyes of a beautiful, slim blonde.

_Lilith._

As his blood began to boil, Sam slowly started making his way down the hall. Ruby followed, still smiling, and Lilith raised a hand, slamming the doors closed. Sam smiled, just a hint of blood still visible on some of his teeth. The bitch didn't actually think that would stop him, did she? He got to the doors, and with one swift kick, they flew open. Sam stepped inside as Lilith whirled around. He smiled widely, the bloodstains on his teeth apparent.

"Hi, honey. I'm home."

* * *

 

"You're sure about this?"

Chuck nodded, pacing around the room. Peyton flipped through the pages once more. Chuck took a swig of his bourbon, then dropped the glass to the floor as Castiel, Dean, and Melinda stood in front of him. Peyton looked up, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God."

She dropped the pages and walked over, taking Melinda in her arms.

"You okay?"   
"We'll talk later. We have to find out where Sam is."

Peyton nodded.

"He's at St. Mary's Convent, in Ilchester, Maryland."

Melinda smiled, and Peyton shrugged her shoulders.

"I beat you here."

Dean touched Peyton's shoulder.

"Come on, Peyt. Get us there. We have to stop him."  
"Why? He's going to stop Lilith."

Melinda shook her head.

"No, he's playing right into her hand."

Peyton's dark brown eyes were confused, and Melinda sighed.

"Lilith's death is the final seal. If Sam kills her…"   
"Oh, my God. We—we have to stop him! Take my hand."  
"Wait a second!"

They turned to Chuck, who was shaking his head.

"You're not in this story! This isn't how it's supposed to go."   
"Yeah, well…"

Castiel cleared his throat.

"We're making it up as we go."

Castiel met Melinda's eyes, and they shared a smile. She reached down and took his hand, and the angel nodded. A loud ringing noise began to sound, and the electricity began to flicker. Sparks began raining down from the lights, and a bright white light began showing outside. Chuck groaned as his house began to shake.

"Not again!"

Peyton shot a worried glance to Melinda, and Castiel spoke up.

"It's the archangel!"

Melinda closed her eyes, feeling Dean grasp her hand. The archangel tethered to Chuck, who would come and offer the wrath of Heaven on anyone who posed a threat. Melinda's eyes flew open when she heard Castiel.

"I'll hold him off! I'll hold them all off! Go! Get to Sam!"

Dean locked eyes with Castiel until Peyton grabbed his sleeve, hauling him closer to her and Melinda, and they appeared in a dark, damp hallway. Melinda glanced around, Peyton mimicking her actions. Melinda turned to Dean.

"Is this it? St. Mary's?"

Dean looked around, noticing an angel statue behind them. He swallowed hard.

"Yeah, I think so."

He motioned with his hand, and Peyton and Melinda saw what he was pointing at. The angel was crying tears of blood. Melinda nodded.

"This is it. We have to find Sam and stop him, fast."

* * *

 

Sam was smiling as he watched Lilith. Her gorgeous blue eyes were wide, watching him. He was slowly walking around, stalking her like he were some wild animal. His heartbeat roared in his ears.

"I've been waiting for this … for a very long time."

Lilith tilted her head, giving him a sinister, yet beautiful smile.

"Well, then … Hit me with your best shot."

Sam lifted his hand and she went flying, cracking her head against the altar she'd created, and she fell to the ground. She lifted herself on shaking arms and Sam flicked his wrist, pinning her up against the altar. Lilith smiled.

"Look at you, all 'roided up. Got your trusty sidekick too, I see. Hey, Tonto. How's it hanging?"

Ruby smiled, not saying a word. Lilith turned her face back to Sam. He smiled again.

"This is for my brother. Enjoy hell."

He lifted a hand and Lilith gasped as her neck began to glow. She began choking, and Ruby glanced behind them.

* * *

 

Melinda came to a stop at the end of another hallway, laying the heels of her hands to her forehead with a moan. Peyton bumped into her side, then saw what was making Melinda's head pound, her eyes all wide and worried. Ruby was in the room at the end of the hall, standing beside Sam, who had his back to them and an arm raised. Ruby's eyes blacked out as Dean walked up behind the girls, and with a nod of her head, the doors swung shut. Peyton took off running, with Dean and Melinda at her heels, and they began banging on the doors, calling out Sam's name.

* * *

 

Sam could feel it happen, as he pulled the life from Lilith. Her gasps were more pain-filled now, agonized almost, but he was reveling in it. All he could hear was his heartbeat, blood still gushing in his ears, and every now and then he'd pick up one of Lilith's screams. And then … Something in the back of his mind made him stop. A voice, small and very far away, or at least that's how it seemed.

_"Sammy!"_ It seemed to say. " _Sammy, stop! Don't do it!"_

He turned away from Lilith, letting his hand drift down, and she slumped over, breathing hard. Sam looked towards the door, still hearing the voice.

"Peyton?"

His voice was quiet, barely audible, but he thought he might could hear something else. Another voice, this one more familiar than the first.

_"Sam! Sammy, no!"_

Was that Dean? And could he really be hearing Melinda? He looked down, and Ruby's face became clear, where a second ago, it had been blurred. She was yelling at him. What was she saying? He blinked a few times, and Ruby's shouts became clear.

"Sam, now! What are you waiting for?! Do it NOW!"

Sam looked back towards the door, and Ruby's face slipped out of his mind. Her shouts faded into the background, as the others came back in his ears.

_"Sammy, please! Stop! You have to stop, Sam! Don't do it!"_

He went to take a step towards the door, when a peal of laughter made him stop. He turned back, seeing Lilith still pinned against the concrete slab, and she was laughing at him.

"You've turned yourself into a freak, Sam! A monster. You've got me right where you want me, and now you're not gonna bite?"

She laughed some more, and Sam could hear his heartbeat speed up. Lilith shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but that is just adorable."

Sam lifted his hand, and Lilith gasped in pain as she began lighting up from the inside out. Her gasps and screams permeated the air as Sam sucked the life out of her. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, much too fast. And in the moments that Lilith lost her life, Sam's eyes went completely black. Sam let out a harsh breath as Lilith slumped over, her eyes wide open but unseeing, blood pooling beneath her. He looked to Ruby, whose eyes went wide.

"Sam, your—"

He closed his black eyes as he took in a broken breath, and when he opened them again, they were back to normal. Ruby let out a sigh, before Lilith's blood caught her eye. Sam followed her gaze, watching the unnatural way that Lilith's blood was flowing. It was like a river, pouring out of her in a long stream, going into a design on the floor. Ruby smiled, letting out a gasp of relief. Sam looked over at her.

"Ruby, what the hell is going on?"

She looked over to him, eyes full of tears. She smiled.

"You did it."   
"What? Ruby, what—what did I do?"

Her smile grew.

"You opened the door. And now he's free, at last."

She looked back down to the stream of blood, and Sam's breath was in short, shallow gasps. Ruby walked closer to him, taking his face in her hands.

"You did it, Sam. He's finally free, and it's all thanks to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still borrowing from SPN Season 4's "Lucifer Rising."


	49. Misery

Sam was shaking as he felt how cold Ruby's hands were against his face. He kept looking at Lilith, where the blood was still pouring from her in one long stream, curling around in a design on the floor. Sam shook his head as Ruby repeated herself, tears falling from her eyes.

"You did it, Sam. You opened the door, and he's free. At long last, he's free. And it's all thanks to you."

Sam shook his head, moving back from Ruby's grasp.

"No. No, I stop—I stopped her. I killed Lilith."

Ruby smiled.

_"And it is written that the first demon shall be the last seal."_

Sam breathed out harshly, laying his hands on top of his head. Ruby walked behind him, smiling.

"You did it. You murdered her, now guess who's coming to dinner?"

Tears were in Sam's eyes.

"Oh, my God."  
"Guess again."

* * *

 

"Damn it!"

Dean leaned back, breathing hard. He'd been trying to kick the door in for what seemed like hours. They'd given up yelling for Sam, resolved to the fact that they most likely were too late. Melinda sighed.

"Let me try again."

Dean nodded, as Melinda used her exploding power to try and open the door. Peyton stood back, shaking her head.

"I swear to God, the first thing I'm doing is wasting that bitch."   
"Peyton—"   
"No, it's my turn. She has to die. We can ask questions later. Ruby is mine."

Dean hung his head, as Melinda continued throwing out her hands, the door beginning to give just a little bit.

* * *

 

Ruby let out a laugh, turning to face Sam.

"You don't even know how hard this was. All those damn demons out for my head, and no one knew. I was the best of those sons of bitches! I am the most loyal! No one knew! Not even Alistair! Only Lilith; she was the only one who knew."

She turned, her face falling just a bit when she saw Lilith's body, the blood still streaming from her. Ruby sighed, turning back to Sam.

"I know you're mad right now. But come on, Sam! Even you have to admit, I … I'm awesome!"

Sam could feel the rage bubbling up inside of him, seeming to start at his toes and course through his veins.

"You bitch. You lying bitch!"

He threw his hands out, gasping as he fell to his knees. Ruby let out a sigh, rolling her eyes. Sam laid a hand to his head, which felt like it was going to explode.

"Don't hurt yourself, Sammy. It's useless. You shot your payload on the boss."

Sam leaned back, breathing hard. He sat up suddenly, staring up at Ruby.

"The blood. The blood, you … You poisoned me!"

She shook her head.

"No. It was you. And your choices. I gave you the options, and you chose the right path every time. I didn't force you into this. I didn't make you drink the blood. You chose to do it, Sammy."

He looked up at her with horrified eyes, and Ruby smiled.

"You didn't need the feather to fly. You had it in you all along, Dumbo."

Sam shook his head, shaking all over again, and Ruby knelt beside him.

"Sam, I know it's hard to see it now, but this is a miracle so long coming. Everything that Azazel did, that Lilith did, just to get you here? And you were the only one who could do it. You're our savior, Sam."   
"Why?"

Tears dripped down Sam's cheeks.

"Why? Why me?"

Ruby smiled, running her hand through his hair.

"Because … it had to be you, Sammy. It always had to be you."

Her smile grew.

"You saved us, Sam. You set him free, and he's going to be so grateful! He's going to repay you in ways that you can't even imagine. Oh, baby… This is so good."

Ruby leaned in to kiss him, and the door flew open. Melinda stood there, breathing hard, her hands falling down beside her. Dean stepped in, starting for Sam and Ruby, but Peyton pushed him aside. Ruby stood up, with a smile on her face.

"You're too late."  
"I don't care, you evil little bitch."

Sam got to his feet and Dean pulled the knife from his pocket. However, he let his hand fall, standing back in awe as Peyton reached Ruby. She lifted her hands, and Melinda gasped as sparks flew from Peyton's fingers. Sam's mouth fell open as Ruby gasped and groaned, while it seemed very much like Peyton was electrocuting the demon. It went on for just a few seconds, until Peyton pulled her hands back and Ruby fell, eyes wide open. Melinda stepped to Peyton, looking down at Ruby's body. Peyton was trembling, looking down at her hands.

"Mel, I—"   
"We can talk about it later."

Melinda and Peyton turned, stepping behind Dean, who was in front of Sam. Sam's breath had sped up, and tears had gathered in his eyes. He looked to Dean, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry."

His voice was broken, as a tear rolled down both his and Peyton's cheeks. Melinda took in a shaky breath as the trail of Lilith's blood ended where it began. The blood was in a symbol Melinda didn't recognize, and she gasped as the room started to shake. She reached and took Peyton's hand, and Dean grabbed Sam's arm.

"Sammy, let's go."

Sam couldn't take his eyes from the floor, where bright white light began to shine. Sam reached over and grabbed hold of Dean, and Dean shot worried eyes from his brother to the ground. Sam let out harsh breaths, then spoke quietly.

"Dean. He's coming."

They all stared until the light became too bright. Peyton reached over and took hold of Dean, trying to teleport them away. Her eyes flew open and she looked to Melinda.

"I can't. Mel, I—"

Melinda nodded, but ran to the door, which slammed shut in front of her. She tried to blow it up, tried to push it open, but nothing worked. The boys ran up behind her with Peyton, all of them banging on the door, trying to get it open. They turned back, looking where the light was coming from, all of them groaning as a loud, high-pitched ringing began. Dean covered his ears.

"What the hell?!"

Melinda grabbed his arm, then covered her own ears.

"He's an angel!"

They fell to their knees, covering their ears, as the light grew impossibly brighter, the ringing even louder. Dean leaned over, taking Melinda in his arms, moving to put his mouth right over her ear.

"I love you."

Melinda gripped his arms, letting out a scream as it all became too much for her. Her scream blended in with Peyton's, who was wrapped in Sam's arms, as the room exploded, and the convent crumbled to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable is from SPN Season 4's "Lucifer Rising." or from the Charmed season 2 episode, "Morality Bites." Phoebe's power in that episode is what I modeled Peyton's new power after.


	50. Carry On, My Wayward Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything recognizable comes from the SPN season 5 episodes "Sympathy for the Devil" & "Good God, Y'all!"

"Honey? What are you doing here?"

Melinda opened her eyes, lowering her hands from her ears. Her eyes widened when she glanced around, realizing where she was. How in the hell was she in the kitchen at the Manor? She looked beside her and was relieved to see Peyton, with an identical look of confusion on her face. Where was Dean? And Sam? Melinda looked up, into the warm, but worried, eyes of her mother and took the hand Piper offered. She stood up, and Piper helped Peyton to her feet. Melinda glanced around and Piper spoke again, gently.

"Melinda? Honey, are you okay?"

Melinda shook her head.

"Dean. Where is Dean?"

Piper shook her head.

"He's not here. I was just at the washing machine, and I walked in here, just in time to see you and Peyton materialize on the floor."

Melinda and Peyton both looked back to the space in front of the basement door, where they had just appeared. Melinda glanced to the window, seeing the full moon outside. She turned back to her mother.

"What time is it?"

Piper pulled her hand from the pocket of her robe and glanced at her watch.

"It's two minutes to midnight."

Melinda turned to Peyton, blue eyes wide.

"How are we here?"  
"How are we here, just before it happened?"  
"Before what happened?"

Melinda and Peyton turned to Piper, and Melinda let out a sigh.

"Mama, I think you better sit down."

* * *

 

Piper closed her eyes, resting her forehead on her hands. Leo let out a long sigh, and Melinda and Peyton kept a tight hold on their coffee mugs. Leo covered his mouth with his hand, then spoke.

"So Sam killing Lilith broke the final seal."

Melinda nodded, pursing her lips.

"And in turn, set Lucifer free?"

Peyton nodded this time, biting her lip. Leo sighed, and Melinda turned to Piper.

"And, it turns out, Ruby was a double agent the whole time. 'Helping us' was all part of her and Lilith's big plan to get Sam to break that final seal."

Peyton looked down at the table as Piper spoke, still keeping her eyes closed.

"Tell me Ruby won't be a problem anymore."

Melinda let out a laugh.

"Oh, no. No, we won't ever have to worry about Ruby again."

Leo looked from Melinda to Peyton.

"What aren't you telling us?"

Melinda smiled.

"Someone has a new power, and she used it to waste ol' Ruby."

Piper opened her eyes, looking over to Peyton, who let out a long sigh. Leo laughed.

"Peyton, that's wonderful!"

Piper reached over, gently pinching Peyton's arm.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

Peyton shrugged her shoulders.

"I, uh… I just—I don't know."

Piper and Leo shared a look, and Piper smiled. She reached across the table and took Peyton's hand, and Peyton looked from their hands to her aunt's face. Piper's voice was easy, and soothing to Peyton.

"When you grow up killing demons, when you're around it from the get-go, it doesn't affect you in the ways that maybe it should. They're bad, so they deserve to go away. As you get older, you realize the consequences of your actions."  
"And for someone like you, who has never had an active power…"

Peyton looked to Leo and nodded. Melinda sat back, letting it all sink in. Peyton spoke, and her voice was shaky.

"I've killed demons before. With spells and potions. But I've never killed one with my own two hands."

Piper nodded, squeezing Peyton's hand. Melinda ran a hand over Peyton's hair and finished off her coffee. Leo tapped Peyton's shoulder.

"Why don't you show us what you can do?"

Peyton nodded and stood up. She walked to the fruit bowl and picked up an orange. Melinda, Piper, and Leo watched as Peyton held the orange between her hands, and it began to float. Sparks flew from Peyton's hands, latching onto the orange, and it looked like bolts of lightning travelling from Peyton's fingertips into the orange, until it fell to the ground, sizzling and smoking. Piper blinked, then grabbed Leo's arm.

"Is that … That's the—"  
"Yeah, I think so."

Piper swallowed, and Melinda cleared her throat.

"Mama? What's going on?"

Piper sighed, and turned to her daughter.

"Way back a long time ago, not long after Prue, Phoebe, and I had just gotten our powers, Phoebe had this vision. It was terrible, and we needed to stop it. We went to the future, where I got to meet my sweet little girl."

Piper ran a hand over Melinda's hair, giving her a smile.

"But a lot of bad things happened, and we had to learn to let them happen. One of those things was Phoebe, using her power to punish evil, instead of protecting innocents. And the power she used was the same one Peyton just showed us."

Peyton nodded, looking to Melinda.

"Isn't that just about right?"

* * *

 

Melinda let out a sigh, looking down at her phone again. For at least the fifteenth time in the couple of hours that she'd been there, she dialed Dean's number, cursing under her breath when he still didn't answer, when it went straight to voicemail again. She stood up, walking over by Peyton.

"Okay, I can't do this anymore. We have to find the guys, make sure they're okay, and figure out what the hell we're supposed to do now."

Peyton nodded, letting out a sigh.

"Okay, but I have no idea where they are. I've been trying to go to Sam since we got here, and I'm still coming up empty."

Melinda closed her eyes, nodding her head, trying not to panic. She didn't even realize she was whispering until Piper walked over and took Melinda's face in her hands.

"Sweetheart. You need to breathe. I know it's hard, but try to relax."  
"But they're okay, right, Mama? Tell me they're okay."

Piper sighed, running a thumb under Melinda's jaw.

"I wish I could, but I just don't know, sweetie."  
"Peyton couldn't get us out of there. She tried. She didn't bring us here, Mama. Someone else did. And if they brought us out, they had to get Sammy and Dean, too. Right?"

Melinda looked to Leo, who shrugged his shoulders. Melinda sighed, tilting her head up, then gasping.

"Cas! Cas could tell us! Peyton, let's go to Chuck."

Peyton nodded, taking Melinda's hands, leaving Piper and Leo alone in the kitchen. Piper let out a long sigh, and Leo stepped up behind her, taking her in his arms.

"I know, honey."  
"Leo, it's the Apocalypse. We didn't even mess with this, and now they've started it?"

Leo sighed, pressing a kiss to of Piper's temple.

"It's going to get ugly, Piper. And there is absolutely nothing we can do about it."

* * *

 

Melinda opened her eyes and looked around. Peyton was the one to speak up.

"Holy … What the hell happened here?"

Chuck's house was demolished. The girls stepped gingerly around overturned, ripped up furniture, side-stepped broken glass and what seemed to be pools of blood. Melinda swallowed.

"Cas? It's Melinda. Are you all right? Castiel?"  
"Chuck? Chuck, it's Peyton. Are you here?"

They didn't hear anything, but they kept walking. Melinda pushed aside a fallen wall and saw more blood spattered on it. She looked over and tears filled her eyes.

"Peyton—"  
"Don't."

Peyton walked over, taking Melinda's hands in her own.

"Keep it together, Mel. Come on."

Melinda nodded, calling out for Castiel again. Peyton saw light glinting off of something, and she stepped forward.

"Chuck? Are you here? It's Peyton and Melinda, Chuck. We're here to help you."  
"Peyton?"

Melinda whirled around and saw Chuck poke his head out of a makeshift shelter. A blanket stretched over an overturned coffee table, with a piece of sheetrock beside it. Peyton sighed and held out a hand, helping Chuck to his feet. Melinda walked over, straightening Chuck's glasses on his face.

"Chuck, are you okay?"

He nodded, tossing aside his fireplace poker. He looked up, meeting each of their eyes.

"You didn't get there in time."

They shook their heads.

"I saw it, right after you left. Right after …"

His sentence trailed off and he shivered. Melinda tapped his shoulder.

"Chuck, where is Cas? We need to ask him a few things."

Chuck sighed, then shook his head.

"He's dead."  
"What?"  
"Or gone. I don't know. The archangel smote the crap out of him. He just exploded, literally. Everywhere. It was awful."

Melinda looked over to Peyton, who just closed her eyes. Tears filled Melinda's eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She covered her mouth to stifle her sobs, but she didn't do much good. Peyton closed her eyes as a tear drifted down her own cheek. She was trying to block it out, but Melinda's heart was just broken. She felt so guilty, for the way she treated Castiel so long ago when Dean was in the hospital. They had once been close, and they had lost that. It seemed like they might could get back to it, and Melinda had been holding onto that. And now, she'd lost her chance. Peyton walked over, taking Melinda in her arms, feeling Melinda grip her tight.

"How can he be dead, Peyton?"  
"You can't mess with archangels, Mel. He told us that."  
"It's not fair."  
"I know, honey."

Melinda pulled back from the hug, shaking her head as she looked Peyton in the eye.

"Peyton, I … I don't think I can do this. We've lost Cas. We don't know where Sam and Dean are, or if they're even alive!"  
"They're alive."

The girls whirled around to face Chuck, who took his glasses off of his nose. Peyton spoke, her voice quiet and shaking.

"What did you say?"  
"Sam and Dean. They're alive. When you guys got shipped to the Manor, they got put on a plane."  
"An airplane?"  
"What other kind of plane would they be put on, Peyton?!"

Peyton punched Melinda's arm as Melinda stepped over to Chuck.

"You're sure?"

He nodded.

"It was part of my vision."

Melinda laughed and grabbed Chuck in a hug. Peyton let out a breath of relief, then froze. Melinda quieted, letting go of Chuck and turning back to Peyton. Chuck spoke in barely a whisper.

"I'm guessing we all heard that."

Melinda nodded.

"Hide."

Chuck didn't need to be told twice. He ducked back under his bunker and Melinda and Peyton stood in front of it, both primed and ready to attack. Instead, they heard a deep voice, calling out.

"Chuck? You all right?"

Melinda took off running, with Peyton behind her, sliding to a stop just in front of Chuck's kitchen. Sam and Dean stood there, and all four of them let out breaths of relief before Melinda ran to Dean, and Peyton to Sam. Dean sighed, closing his eyes and holding Melinda close to him, running his hands over her face, her hair, down her arms.

"You okay? You're all right?"  
"I'm fine. Are you okay?"  
"Fine."

Melinda did the same thing, running her hands over his face, down his arms, his chest, before pulling him in for a kiss. Sam had his head atop Peyton's, and she had her eyes closed, her ear pressed against his chest, listening to his heart. Melinda sighed when she saw them.

"Sam?"

They all turned as Chuck walked into the room. Sam smiled.

"Hey, Chuck."  
"You're okay?"

Sam looked back to Dean, then nodded. Chuck shook his head.

"In my last vision, you were like full-on Vader. Your body temperature was 150, your heart rate was 200. Dude … Your eyes were black!"  
"Your eyes went black?"

Sam turned to Dean and Melinda, who had spoken at the same time. He looked down at the ground, speaking in a quiet voice.

"I didn't know."

Peyton stepped away from Sam, and Dean sighed.

"Listen, Chuck. Where's Cas?"

Chuck sighed, and Melinda closed her eyes before turning to Dean. The tears were back in her eyes.

"Dean, Cas … Uh, he—he didn't make it."  
"What?"  
"The archangel …"  
"He smote the crap out of him, Dean."

Melinda closed her eyes as Dean turned to Chuck. Dean shook his head.

"Maybe he just vanished into the light."  
"No, man. He exploded. Like—like a water balloon of Chunky soup."  
"Chuck."

He glanced back at Peyton, who shook her head. Dean took Melinda back in his arms, letting out a sigh.

"Cas, you stupid bastard."

Sam turned to his brother.

"Stupid? He was trying to help us."  
"Yeah, exactly."

Peyton sighed. Melinda was silently crying into Dean's chest, while Dean and Sam tried to plot a new course of action. They decided to get a motel room, sticking close by Chuck, just in case. He decided to stay in his house, as destroyed as it was, because he was comfortable there, and write. Inside the room, Peyton sat on one of the beds, Melinda on the other. Dean was across the room, finishing up laying the salt line on the windows. Melinda had taken care of the opposite side of the room, using her powers. Sam came through the door.

"Okay. There's no news anywhere. It is dead quiet."  
"Great. That's not unsettling at all."

Melinda smirked at Dean's comment, moving the salt line back in front of the door, then glanced up at Sam. Peyton lifted her head to look at Melinda, then sighed.

"Hey, Sam?"

He turned to Melinda as Peyton just shook her head.

"Yeah?"  
"How are you doing?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine. Why?"  
"Just curious. You're not jonesing for another hit of bitch blood?"

Dean set his hands on his hips as he looked over to Melinda and Sam. Sam shook his head, slipping his jacket off his shoulders.

"It's weird, but I'm fine. No shakes, no fever. It's like whatever put me on that plane cleaned me right up."  
"And without the pain of withdrawal this time around."

Melinda glanced back at Dean. She could feel him tugging on her mind, telling her to let it be. Dean sighed.

"Quick little supernatural rehab, huh?"

Sam smiled, finally locking eyes with his brother. Peyton closed her eyes as she looked away, and Melinda reached to hold her hand. Sam blew out his breath.

"Dean—"  
"Sam. We've been over this. It's okay. You don't have to say anything."

Sam nodded, and the girls watched their interlude from the beds. Sam set his hands on his hips as Dean turned away from him, checking and re-checking the same pistol again and again.

"That's good, I guess. Because what would I say? "I'm sorry"? "I screwed up"? Doesn't really do it justice, you know? I mean, I know there's nothing I can ever say or do that could make any of this right—"  
"Then why the fuck do you keep bringing it up?!"

Dean slammed the pistol on the table, and Melinda and Peyton jumped. Dean gripped the back of a chair, letting out a breath. He turned to Sam, slowly walking his way.

"Look, all I'm saying is, do we have to put this under a microscope right now? Let's do what we always do, okay? We made a mess, we clean it up. Business as usual."

Dean grabbed his jacket and walked out the door. Melinda took a breath, then followed after him. Sam looked over to Peyton, letting out a breath.

"Peyton—"  
"You know what, Sam? I'm going to take a page from Dean's book here. Let it be."

Sam closed his eyes, letting out his breath. Peyton stood up.

"It happened, okay? It's done. We can't go back, so let's just move the hell on, okay?"

Peyton lifted her jacket onto her shoulders and walked out of the room, leaving Sam by himself.

* * *

 

After two days, there was still not a single piece of information, but the unexplainable acts of nature had begun. Tornadoes ripping across the continents. Tsunamis tearing up the waters. Blizzards blowing across countries, droughts beginning as rivers dried up. But the angel and demon fronts were completely quiet. The Winchesters and the Halliwells were on edge, waiting for the proverbial other shoe to fall, but they heard nothing. They decided to go back to the Manor, set up base camp there. Piper had already begun preparations, and Phoebe and Coop had decided to move back in the Manor for a while.

On the day they were set to leave, Melinda and Peyton were loading the bags into the trunk of the car. Dean had been extra snarky all morning, and Sam had just about all he could take. Outside the room, Sam set his hands in his pockets.

"Is there something you want to say to me, Dean?"

Dean sighed, closing his eyes before turning to his brother.

"I tried, Sammy. I really did. But I can't keep pretending that everything's all right. It's not. And it's never going to be, not again. You chose a demon over your own brother. Who does that? And look what happened."

Sam sighed, long and Peyton could feel it deep in her soul. She reached and took Melinda's hand, and Melinda watched the brothers. Sam was fighting tears.

"Dean, I would give anything, _anything_ , if I could take it all back."

Dean nodded.

"I know you would. I know how sorry you are. I do. But Sam… You were the one I depended on the most. And you let me down in ways that I can't even …"

Dean shook his head, looking anywhere but at Melinda, who had tears glistening in her eyes. Peyton was torn, between feeling the sadness and disappointment from Dean and the despair and regret from Sam. Dean sighed.

"I'm just having a hard time forgiving and forgetting, you know?"

Sam clenched his teeth, fighting to keep the tears from falling.

"What … What can I do?"

Dean gave him a smile.

"Honestly?"

Dean shook his head.

"I don't think that we can ever be what we were. Not now."

Peyton felt the lance of pain that shot through Sam's heart, and Dean sighed. He spoke quietly, but his words echoed in their ears.

"I just don't think I can trust you."

Dean turned away before he could see the tear roll down Sam's face. Dean went for the Impala, and Sam let out a sigh. He wiped his face, then turned towards his brother.

"Dean."

Dean turned back, and Melinda did the same thing, right behind him. Sam took in a shaky breath.

"Look, I … I think it might be best if we split up for a while."

Peyton and Melinda gasped, but Dean never took his eyes from Sam's. Sam pressed on, knowing that if he didn't get it out now, he never would.

"I know you don't trust me. I really don't blame you. But… I really don't trust me either. I am in no shape to hunt. Maybe … Maybe some time apart will do us some good."

Tears rolled down Melinda's face. Dean cleared his throat.

"I, uh … I think that would be wise."  
"Dean."

Melinda locked eyes with Dean, and she knew he wasn't going to budge on this. Tears fell from her eyes, and from Peyton's as Sam grabbed his bag from the trunk. Melinda went around to the other side of the car, taking hold of Dean by the front of his shirt. She spoke quietly, where only Dean could hear her.

"Do not do this, Dean. Don't let him go like this."  
"What else am I supposed to do? If he wants to go, he can go."

Melinda let go of him when she heard the trunk shut. Sam walked over by the car, moving to hold his bag over his shoulder. He nodded towards them, then turned to walk away. Melinda let out a breath, and Peyton closed her eyes.

"Sam!"

He stopped at the sound of Peyton's voice and turned around. She let out a breath, putting a smile on her face.

"Be careful, okay?"

He smiled, and nodded, then took off walking down the road. Peyton climbed in the car, stretching across the backseat on her side, facing away from Dean and Melinda. Melinda sighed as she climbed into the passenger seat, and Dean started the Impala, driving off in the opposite way from Sam.

* * *

 

The first few hours of the trip were silent. Dean had turned the radio on, but when Bon Jovi's _Wanted Dead or Alive_ came through the speakers, he violently switched it off. Melinda stared out the window, trying to ignore Peyton's almost silent crying in the backseat, praying the girl would fall asleep soon. Melinda turned to Dean.

"Honey—"  
"Mel, don't. I can't right now, okay?"

She nodded, then let out a sigh.

"Just don't keep bottling it up, okay? That never works out well for you. Or anyone else, for that matter. When you're ready to talk, I'm ready to listen."

Dean nodded.

"I know, Mel."

She smiled.

"I love you."

He sighed, but a smile crossed his face.

"I love you too, pretty girl."

* * *

 

A day and a half later, Peyton was driving when Melinda woke up in the backseat. She let out a groan, and Peyton smiled.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty."

Melinda just groaned again, and Dean sat up, pulling the passenger seat back to a sitting position. Melinda yawned as she tried to sit up, but she was just too tired. Her voice was scratchy.

"Where the hell are we?"

Peyton smiled.

"100 miles outside of Salt Lake City."

Melinda moaned and laid an arm across her eyes.

"I'll tell you one thing. If I ever get out of this car, I'm going to my bed and I am staying there until I absolutely can't anymore."  
"I second that."

Peyton let out a smile as Dean yawned. They stopped for lunch, switching drivers and positions, and Dean was back in the driver's seat, with Melinda beside him. Peyton stretched out across the backseat, trying to grab a nap. She had driven for the better part of an entire day, and she was exhausted. Melinda was staring out the window, slumped over in her seat, sunglasses on her face. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, not a stitch of makeup on her face, and she didn't even care. Dean thought she looked absolutely adorable. He reached over and took her hand, eyeing her ring as he lifted it up to kiss it. Melinda smiled, and he decided to go for it.

"Hey Mel, I've been thinking."  
"Sounds dangerous."

Dean smiled.

"You know it's a rare occasion when we have a break."

She nodded, looking out the window again.

"We've got one right now, no matter how uneasy it makes us. And we don't know when another one might come along. I mean, we're in the Apocalypse, for Christ's sake."

She turned to look at him, bringing a leg up on the seat beside her, turning to face him.

"What are you getting at, Winchester?"

Dean smiled.

"I think we should go ahead and have the wedding now. As soon as we possibly can, before the bottom falls out."

Melinda stared at him, her mouth hanging open, and Dean smiled. Peyton popped up from the backseat, sharing Melinda's look.

"You're kidding, right?"

Dean looked in the rearview mirror, locking eyes with Peyton. He shook his head, still smiling.

"Are you drunk? High?"  
"Peyton, he's driving. Don't be stupid."

Dean changed lanes, taking an exit. The girls just stared at him, and when they were on a long stretch of road, he sighed.

"I bet it'll be at least a week or two before something happens. Then again, the angels could show up tomorrow. I just … I don't know."

Melinda smiled, leaning over to take his hand.

"It would be a story to tell, wouldn't it? 'When did you get married?' 'Oh, right after we started the Apocalypse.' Can you imagine?"

An exasperated sigh came from the backseat.

"She's considering it. I can't even believe … No, wait. Nope. She's not considering it."

Peyton hung her head as Melinda's smile grew.

"Dean Winchester, are we going to get married in a week?"

Dean looked over, locking eyes with Melinda.

"Melinda Halliwell, we're getting married in a week."

Melinda squealed, and Dean laughed, almost running off the road as he leaned to kiss her. Peyton shook her head in the backseat, trying to gear herself up for what was sure to become the wedding week from hell. And as much as she fought it, as much as she tried to think about anything else, all her thoughts drifted back to Sam. He'd hurt her so badly. So why in the hell was she still in love with him? Peyton shook her head. There were some things she would never understand, and the reasons she loved Sam Winchester was definitely one of those things. She turned to look out the window, hoping that wherever he was, that tall, strong, lost boy was finding himself again.

And that maybe, just maybe, he might could find his way back to her, too.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And part 3 has come to an end! Stay tuned for part 4, coming soon. :) Thanks for reading!


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